Allegiance
by Ceu Praca
Summary: Sheik is back. In addition, Link now has new responsibilities as leader of a group of knights, all of them young and headstrong. By the way: something brought the temple monsters back to life. Set post-OoT, based on the assumption that Zelda DIDN'T send Link back in time. Sequel to Dragon Sword.
1. Sheikah

Disclaimer: Anything recognizable belongs to Nintendo, sadly. :'( Anything new, including the storyline, belongs to me.

This is the sequel to _Dragon Sword_. It would be advisable to read _Dragon Sword_ before you read this, because I am NOT going to be providing constant explanations for stuff.

**Chapter 1: Sheikah**

"Link, wake up!"

I groaned, but reluctantly opened my eyes, seeing a familiar, green-haired face above me, creased with worry. I frowned at her. "What do you want, Saria? What time is it?"

She glared at me, yanking on my hand impatiently until I sat up, rubbing sleeping from my eyes. "Midnight. Something's happened; Impa contacted me and told me that there's something attacking Kakariko. It seems to be looking for something."

I was in my feet in an instant, pulling on my tunic and strapping on my sword and shield. "Do you have any idea what it is?"

"No, Impa only described it as a shadow."

I nodded, double-checked that I had all my equipment, then took out my ocarina and began playing the simple, eerie melody that would transport me to the village. The Nocturne of Shadow. A bright veil of violet light enveloped me, then I found myself standing on the ledge above the graveyard. To my dismay, I saw smoke, and when I ran out to the village, I saw that the Shooting Gallery was on fire. The familiar, imposing form of Impa was standing by the flames, controlling them with magic, but something seemed to be distracting her, rendering her attempt to extinguish the flames ineffective.

"Link, do something about these flames! I cannot fight and save the town at the same time!" Impa shouted, backing away and taking out a long, thin sword, slashing at what looked like thin air.

I took out my ocarina and hurriedly began playing the Song of Storms; soon enough, thunderclouds gathered, and the heavens opened, sending rain pouring down onto the flames. Then I unsheathed my blade, summoning my magic to see the unseen, then gasped in horror. A giant, glowing, bright red eye was hovering in midair, attached to a long body that branched off to connect to a pair of huge hands. _No! That's impossible! I killed that thing!_

"Link, get down!" a voice yelled, then something slammed into me just a streak of flame shot from the eye, narrowly missing me. The weight disappeared, and a hand grabbed my arm, hauling me up. "Idiot, mind your surroundings."

I stared in surprise at the middle-aged man standing before me, dressed in dark blue, flexible armor and holding a distinctive, silver-bladed sword with a pommel shaped like a dragon's eye. "Tannin? What are you doing here? I thought you were in the desert!"

He sighed, glancing at the creature, which was trying to smash Impa with its hands. "I wish. The desert is a lot more appealing. Try not to get your head damaged again, okay, kid?"

I chuckled in spite of myself, then sheathed my sword and pulled out my bow, aiming carefully. I shot the thing right in the eye, and it howled, then turned to smoke, whirling along the ground and vanishing into nothing. I quickly went to Impa, who was sagging. "Are you okay? That thing didn't hurt you, did it?"

She shook her head, straightening. "I am one of the six sages, Hero. I cannot be wounded easily."

Tannin came up to us and shook his head. "Link, did you recognize that thing? You looked kind of…scared."

"Impa, I think…that was the…"

She nodded. "The beast of the Shadow Temple."

Tannin jolted. "Wait, Bongo? I thought you killed him!"

I snickered at the nickname; Tannin had called it that ever since the time when I'd had brain damage from fighting the thing, and I'd rambled nonsensically about the thing. Apparently, in my delirium, I'd called it 'Bongo Bongo' and the name had stuck.

Impa gave the former soldier an icy look. "Yes, that beast." _She's deliberately avoiding using that nickname._ "I need to go."

"Go? Go where? Impa!" But she was gone. The Sage of Shadow had vanished like the element she wielded.

Tannin shrugged. "What do we do about it? You almost got yourself killed the last time, and that was when you had Navi to help."

I felt a brief pang; Navi had abandoned me after I had defeated Ganondorf, not even saying goodbye. I _still_ didn't know where she was. "I don't know. I don't think I'll be able to find it; surely the thing isn't stupid enough to hide in the Shadow Temple again?"

"I don't know, Link, but you'd better find a way to hunt it down, and soon. I can protect the village while you're busy."

I stared at the man's blade, the Dragon Sword. It was the Master Sword's only equal, and could summon a magical fire that could wipe out an entire horde of monsters with one strike. "I don't doubt that."

He chuckled, his green eyes glinting oddly. "You have a visitor."

"What?"

"I think someone wants to talk to you." He pointed at me, but after a moment's confusion, I realized that he was pointing _behind_ me. I turned slowly, not knowing what to expect, then froze.

A tall, thin man was standing there, wearing royal blue clothing wrapped in white bandages, a scarlet symbol emblazoned on the chest, shaped like an eye. I frowned. "Zelda?"

Surprisingly, I heard a low, male laugh, then the person took a few steps towards me. "No, Hero, I am not Zelda, though she once took my form. I understand your confusion."

I shook my head. "Who was it that guided me to each of the temples? Who was it that taught me those songs?"

"It was I, Sheik, who guided you and taught you. The only time Zelda assumed my appearance was when she came to the Temple of Time to give you the Light Arrows."

_So Sheik was a real person after all, not just a disguise created by the princess._ "But…why reveal yourself now? Where have you been for the past three years?"

The Sheikah stared levelly at me, but I was unable to read his expression from the single, scarlet eye that I could see. "Surely you recognized the creature that assaulted the village." It was obviously not a question, but I nodded anyway. "Somehow, it was resurrected. I find myself wondering whether or not it was killed at all."

"That thing received the Biggoron Sword through its eye. Not many could live through that, no matter how powerful."

"You would have been better off using the Master Sword on it."

Tannin stepped forward. "Excuse me, could I interrupt? That thing wounded Link pretty badly when he fought it; it was Navi the Fairy who stabbed it, not the hero. You can forgive a fairy not being able to conquer that thing. She obviously wouldn't have been able to wield the Master Sword."

Sheik nodded slightly. "In that case, it is understandable. The creature will have to be destroyed, however."

I felt a sinking feeling. "Please tell me I don't have to go to the Shadow Temple again."

"You will need to go to the Shadow Temple again," he said, his scarlet eye glinting with obvious enjoyment of my discomfort.

"But I had Navi back then! You saw the state I was in when I tried to fight that thing before! I won't be able to destroy it!"

"You have grown in skill since then, Hero."

"Are you saying that, instead of receiving brain damage, I'll just get a few broken bones? Thanks. I really needed that."

Sheik looked directly at Tannin. "Stay and protect the village." Before I could do anything, he lunged, and I suddenly found that a shining blade was at my throat. When I tried to dodge backwards, he moved with me, slipping around behind me to grab me in an armlock. _Who knew that such a thin, wiry person could be so strong._

"Let go!"

"You are coming with me, Hero," he said firmly, and I gave Tannin a pleading look, but the Dragon Knight made no move to help me as the Sheikah dragged me backwards through the village and into the graveyard, dropping me unceremoniously on top of a grave. I tried to make a run for it, but his long knife was at my throat again, pinning me against the flat top of the grave, causing me to feel strangely like a sacrificial offering on a stone table.

I stared up at the man warily; he'd never come at me physically before, unless you count when he had punched me, but I had been delirious and wounded, so I hadn't really been aware of it. I honestly wasn't sure how to react to this unexpected change, especially since he didn't even look hostile. "Um…can you please take the knife away?"

The blade didn't waver. "You need to destroy that creature."

I tried another tactic. "I can't destroy the creature when I'm pinned to a gravestone, Sheik."

Thankfully, the knife went back into its sheath, and I scrambled to my feet. "Do not fail," he said simply, then took a pace back and vanished. I sighed in relief, then went towards the gate that led to the village, intent on acquiring a few blue potions before I went after Bongo. Then the knife appeared again. Sheik raised his eyebrow, forcing me back into the graveyard. "You lack commitment, Hero."

"I just want to get a few blue potions in case I'm wounded!" I protested, reluctantly allowing the man to drive me backwards.

He looked unimpressed. "You will find all you need at the Shadow Pedestal. Play the Nocturne."

_All I need? What is that supposed to mean?_ "You do realize the value of blue potion, right?" I asked.

"Play the Nocturne."

"You sound like a broken record."

"_You_ will be broken if you do not obey, Hero."

I took out my ocarina hastily; Sheik had _never_ made threats before, and I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to find out if he meant it. "Okay, I'm doing it. Relax." Once again, I played the Nocturne, and in an instant, I found myself on the ledge above the graveyard. To my surprise, resting on the pedestal was a small bag.

I opened it cautiously, then drew my breath sharply; inside were a fresh supply of arrows and bombs, four red potions, at least seven green potions, and two blue potions. "Use the supplies sparingly."

I gasped, standing and whirling about to see Sheik standing behind me, leaning casually against the wall with his lyre cradled in one arm. "How did you get up here?!"

"I know the song as well, Hero."

I glowered at him. "I thought that only the Ocarina of Time held the power to teleport."

He chuckled softly. "How did you think I wound up in Death Mountain Crater? Or in the depths of the Lost Woods?"

"Darn Sheikah," I muttered, kneeling to stuff the supplies into my enchanted belt pouch. I yelped when something sharp pricked my neck, bolting upright and rubbing at it. "What was that for?!"

"Show respect for the powers you do not comprehend."

I finished putting away the supplies, then gazed down the staircase apprehensively. "I really don't want to go down there."

"It is necessary." Sheik gestured with his knife. "Go, Hero."

"Why can't you ever call me by my name?"

"It is not my place. Go."

I sighed, then descended, seeing with surprise that the torches were unlit. "Weren't those torches magical?"

"No. They went out a few hours after you entered the temple."

I stared at him. "Are you intending on following me through the entire temple, or are you just making sure I don't give in to cowardice? Either way, you might want to stand back a bit."

"Both. Cast your fire, Hero, and do not fear for my safety."

I was wary of him, but I stepped onto the round pedestal, concentrating. I gathered my power and drove my fist into the ground with a yell, radiating a shield of fire in all directions, lighting every torch in the room simultaneously. I turned back to Sheik, praying that I wouldn't see his charred remains, but, to my surprise, he wasn't even there. "Sheik?" I asked cautiously.

"Why are you staring at the ground?"

I whipped around, seeing with shock that the man was standing in the now-open doorway, the one eye that I could see reflecting amusement. I glared at him. "If you're going to be coming with me, then warn me before you do anything creepy, like disappearing."

He chuckled, then jerked his head towards the dark opening, turning and walking through. I followed him reluctantly, eyeing the dark chasm that I had to cross.

"Are you going to go, or not?"

I folded my arms, glaring at him. "I was just wondering how _you_ were planning on getting across."

"By obvious means, of course." He leapt agilely, his slender fingers gripping the other edge with ease as he pulled himself up.

I frowned. "Nice to know just how acrobatic you are." I aimed my longshot, pressing the trigger, and the hook buried itself into the target, yanking me across. I pulled myself up and pocketed the weapon again, feeling kind of self-conscious, like I had to somehow impress the Sheikah with my ability. He merely walked forward and ran straight into the wall; well, what looked like a wall, anyway. I followed him through, knowing full well what room it would open into. "Do you think Bongo is in the same room as before?"

Sheik glared at me. "I wouldn't know, and if you start using that silly nickname, I'll just go on ahead and fight the thing myself."

"Why don't you do that anyway?" I asked hopefully.

"Because it is your responsibility."

"Fine," I growled, reaching into my belt pouch and taking out the Hover Boots, pulling them on and stuffing my old, travel-worn Kokiri Boots back into the pouch. "Can you walk on air, Sheikah? Because if not, I doubt you can follow me."

"Just do what you must, Hero, and do not worry about me."

I shrugged, then eyed the platform that stuck out into the abyss. It was too far out for any person to reach, no matter what technique they used, but I walked forward and out into empty air. It was always unnerving, the sensation of looking down and seeing nothing below me, yet feeling as though I were standing on solid ground, but, thankfully, I had grown used to it in the three years since acquiring the boots. Thanks to the Hover Boots, I could walk where there was no solid ground indefinitely.

As soon as I reached the other side, I yelped when Sheik appeared in front of me. "How did you do that?"

"I will not answer that," he replied, walking forward.

I grudgingly followed him, all the way until we reached the Ferry. I jumped on. "This is the sinking ship."

"It does not look much like it is sinking," he muttered, leaping aboard easily and standing with his feet planted in the exact center of the Triforce emblem that was on the deck.

I grinned. "You might want to get ready."

"Ready for what?" In answer, I shoved the man so that I was the one standing on the Triforce emblem; he glared at me, but before he could retaliate, I pulled out my ocarina and played Zelda's Lullaby. Instantly, the bells of the ship began ringing, and the vessel moved forward in a rhythmic, bouncing motion, almost knocking Sheik flat. He hissed, quickly regaining his balance. "You could have told me."

"But not telling you was so much more fun," I responded cheerfully, drawing my sword.

"Why are you-?"

Before he could finish his query, a stalfos leaped down and swung at me with its bronze, wavy-edged sword. I ducked and severed it's legs, then stabbed it through the head, kicking its body into the abyss. "Stalfos. I was attacked by a few of them the last time I was here, so I knew what to expect."

"If you can make it through the temple with such ease, why did you hesitate when I told you where you were needed?"

"Because of Bongo; the thing nearly killed me the last time I fought it. Forgive me for being apprehensive."

Sheik clenched one hand into a fist. "What did I tell you about using that name for it?"

"To use that name for it as often as I want," I said, dodging his punch. Before he could attack me again, I leaped over the side of the ship, landing neatly in a crouch. Sheik followed close behind, staring as the ship halted mid-bounce, shaking violently before plummeting into the abyss. "See? Sinking ship."

He glared viciously at me. "Sometimes, I wish destiny had chosen someone else to be the hero."

I pressed one hand against my heart, giving him an expression of mock horror. "You sting me with your words! Well, Sheik, whether you like it or not, I_am_ the hero."

"Sadly, I am well aware of this."

I chuckled, crossing the statue-bridge and going through the door. I was able to safely cross the next abyss with my Hover Boots, entering the wide door and into the simple, round room with a hole in the floor. I peered down the hole, but could discern nothing, even though I knew that there was a gigantic drum sitting down there in a pool of acid. "Well? Sheikahs first?"

Sheik just gazed at me expressionlessly, then he reached out and shoved me. I fell swiftly in spite of the boots, landing flat on my back, then the man came down after me, almost hitting me when he landed in a crouch. He looked around with interest. "So, your talking about a giant drum _wasn't_ just mindless ramblings."

"Told you so," I grunted, standing slowly. "Watch you don't fall off, otherwise there'll be nothing left of you. That nasty, oozing, green stuff that closely resembles ReDead guts is a type of acid."

Funnily enough, Sheik seemed amused by the description, then he froze, drawing his twin swords. "Link…turn around."

I obeyed instantly, whipping out my own blade at what I saw. Two, monstrous hands and a red eye, coupled with at least twenty green bubbles. "Hey, Sheik, what do you think about splitting up?"

"Splitting up?" he repeated.

"Yeah, you fight the bubbles, and I'll take care of Bongo."

"Very well. And Link…"

"Yes?"

He punched me in the shoulder. "Stop using that name."

"Bongo Bongo," I chanted gleefully, dodging another punch.

"You are such a child."

"Well I _did_ age seven years instantaneously. When you do the math, I'm really only fifteen."

Sheik groaned, then ran forward and sliced two of the bubbles in half. Bongo came and immediately attempted to smash me with one of his huge hands like before, but missed, slamming the drum and causing both me and the Sheikah to bounce into the air. "_Link_!"

"What?"

"You are so dead!"

I quickly summoned my magic and activated Nayru's Love, just in time to deflect another blow from a hand. "I might be with or without your help, considering how mad Bongo seems."

"Stop using that name!" the man yelled, attacking the green bubbles viciously, slicing them to pieces long after they had died.

"Temper, temper…" Bongo came at me again, and this time I plunged my sword up into his hand, causing him to scream and withdraw, sweeping his second hand at me. I slashed that with my blade, too, and his main body came crashing down, his huge eye rolling crazily. I ran forward and stabbed him in the eye, then planted a bomb for good measure; he made a horrible screeching sound, then shuddered, his eye dimming and going blank…something whacked me sharply on the head. "Ow!"

"Stop using that name," Sheik repeated softly, his eyes glinting dangerously. "Otherwise I may alter your physical appearance."

That struck a nerve. "You…you can't do that…"

A crackling ball of magic suddenly flared to life in his hand, and by the way the corners of his eyes crinkled, I knew he was smiling. "Oh, yes I can. I wonder what you would look like as a Sheikah?"

I trembled, holding up my hands as though that could protect me from a magic spell. "Please don't, Sheik. I promise, I'll stop calling him Bongo." He looked unmoved, stalking closer to me, and I backed up until I couldn't any further. _Acid or altered looks…which is worse?_

"But now you've got me curious," the Sheikah said, reaching out with his normal hand and grabbing me tightly by the front of my shirt. I squeezed my eyes shut, fervently hoping he'd stop, then he slapped me lightly. "Relax, Link. I'm not as cruel as you seem to think I am." I breathed a sigh of relief, then he winked at me. "However, it certainly is amusing. Now, let us leave this place, shall we?"

I looked up at the black hole, which was the only way out of the room. "Um…Sheik, I'm not sure how to tell you this, but…the last time I was here, it was Impa who got me out. I have no idea what she did, other than she somehow pulled me into the Sacred Realm. Therefore, we are trapped, unless you can somehow teleport."

He shrugged, then I yelped when he lunged, his hand dipping into my belt pouch and coming back out with a green jewel. Farore's Wind. "There is a rather simple and easy way out of the Shadow Temple, Hero," he said, waving the jewel teasingly in front of me.

"Give that back!"

In response, the green jewel began glowing, and he raised his fist high into the air, enveloping us both in the emerald light. There was a bright flash, then I blinked, finding myself standing in the torch room at the Shadow Temple's entrance. He tossed the jewel back to me, and I shoved it back into my pouch, contemplating the idea of punching him, but I knew that he'd just get back at me far worse. He might even cast that spell to alter my appearance.

We jumped down from the ledge and into the graveyard, then went out to the village. The fire that had engulfed the Shooting Gallery was now extinguished, and the villagers were roaming about making themselves useful. I caught a lot of people staring at me, then quickly looking away, which was odd, but I guessed it was just because of my status as the Hero of Time, not to mention the fact that I was walking alongside a Sheikah. The man glanced at me, and the corners of his eyes crinkled again, then he nodded to me and vanished.

_I would love to know how he does that._ I spotted Tannin standing by the Bazaar, speaking to Fendrel, the owner, so I went up the long flight of stairs to him. The massive, towering man took one look at me, then gave a deep, thunderous laugh, turning and stomping off to his store, slamming the door behind him.

_Huh, what's his problem?_

Tannin was just staring blankly, then he shook his head and sighed. "You are one strange person, Link."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

He chuckled. "Attempting a career as a Sheikah, Mr. Hero?"

"_What_?"

He was shaking with laughter. "I suggest you find a reflective surface, Link, if you really have no clue."

I felt panicky all of a sudden, whipping out my mirror shield and peering into the shining metal. My reflection looked exactly the same as always…except my hair was a pure, silvery white, and my eyes were blood-red. I now looked exactly like a Sheikah.

"_SHEIK!_"

* * *

A/N1: Many of you will notice that Sheik is a lot less solemn than he was in Ocarina of Time. This is intentional. No flaming, please.

A/N2: All credit for Sheik changing Link's hair and eye color goes to Bookwrm389. Don't worry, I asked for permission first before I used the idea. XD


	2. Conversation

**Chapter 2: Conversation**

"I wonder if it's permanent?"

"Shut up, Tannin," I growled, pacing back and forth.

"What did he do to you, exactly?"

I paused momentarily. "I…I think the spell is called a glamor. Think, Tannin! Is there _any_ way to undo this? I can't appear before Zelda looking like…"

"A Sheikah?" he finished with an amused chuckle.

"I will look like a fool!"

"On the bright side of things, you could just tell the truth."

"Who do you think she's more likely to believe? A powerful Sheikah, or some forest kid?"

"A forest kid who happens to be the Hero of Time," he said, grinning. "I can just see it now…you and Sheik pointing fingers with Zelda acting as referee."

"Tannin, you're not really helping much."

He laughed. "Ask one of the sages. I know nothing about magic, aside from what the Dragon Sword can do."

"I can't go to Impa!"

"Who said anything about Impa?"

"Do you have a better solution? The sages only appear when they want to; I can't summon them."

Tannin eyed me speculatively. "Well, I can cover your eyes with my special lenses and shave your head."

I gave him a vicious look. "_No_!"

He laughed again. "Don't worry so much about your appearance, Link. Zelda will understand if you tell her the truth."

"I know I'll have to tell her, but honestly, it'd be a lot simpler if I could just get Sheik to undo the spell."  
"Unlikely. You know as well as I that he'll disappear for weeks at a time before reappearing."

I put on my hat and pulled the edges down as far as possible until only the very tips of my hair showed. "I'll just avoid eye contact."

He chuckled. "Good luck with that, Mr. Hero."

I groaned, then turned and left the knight's house, taking out my ocarina and calling for Epona. She came quickly, then halted and sniffed me suspiciously. "It's really me," I assured her. She snorted, but allowed me to mount her. "To Castle Town," I whispered, and she tossed her head, but obeyed, trotting down the stairs and across the field. Because Ganondorf had destroyed the town, Zelda had ordered it rebuilt, and now it was much more accommodating to horses, with wide areas for mounted soldiers to pass through.

"Open the gate!" one of the guards shouted at my approach, and I rode through swiftly, hoping to avoid letting anyone know what Sheik had done. I left Epona by the moat and went through the main doors, heading up to Princess Zelda's personal chambers. No one stopped me; they all knew who I was by my iconic, green tunic.

I knocked softly, praying that I wasn't interrupting anything, then the door creaked open slowly, a single, blue eye staring out. "Link? Is that you?"

"Um…yes, Princess."

She opened the door wider, allowing me to enter, and I saw with relief that we were alone. She was staring at me, first in concern, then she gave an amused smile. "What happened to you?"

"Sheik."

"Care to enlighten me?" she asked with a chuckle.

"Sheik decided that it would be entertaining to cast a glamor on me to alter my appearance. Do you know where he is?"

She shook her head, trembling with silent laughter. "No, but you could always ask Impa. She's the one who trained him, after all." She quickly composed herself, sitting down and folding her hands across her lap. "What brings you here, Hero of Time?"

I grimaced. "The beast of the Shadow Temple was not dead, and it attacked Kakariko Village." At this, she looked alarmed, and I held up one hand quickly. "Don't worry, it's dead now. I killed it. But I was wondering if you would know why it came back from the dead."

"Honestly, I don't know. I never expected this to happen." Her blue eyes reflected worry, then she smiled. "But if you killed it again, then we don't have anything to fear. Hyrule is still safe."

"That's what I'm concerned about, Princess. If Bongo came back from the dead, then what if _all_ of the Temple monsters are back? What if Morpha comes and freezes the Zoras again? What if Volvagia eats the entire Goron tribe?"

"Oh, Link…" she stood and came over to me, reaching out to hold my hands in hers. "If there is danger, then we will deal with it together, as we always have. But is does no good to worry about such things. I do not think that the creature's return means that all of the Temple beasts will come back. They are dead. You killed them."

I sighed. "But what if they're not?"

Her gaze hardened. "Link, do not worry. It would take _massive_ amounts of power to resurrect the dead; in fact, only a wielder of the Triforce could do such a thing."

I froze. "What if-?"

"_No_, Link!" she interrupted harshly. "Don't let your imagination get away! Ganondorf is _dead_! He's not coming back! The sages sealed him within another realm, remember?"

"I know. I'm sorry, it's just…I feel so responsible for Hyrule."

"I do, too," she said with a chuckle. "I'm its ruler, after all. If danger arises, then we will stop it, but for now, do not trouble yourself. Something has always called you to defend. Do not worry that you will not be there if something happens."

"Okay. Thanks, Zelda."

She gave me a stern look. "What? You _dare_ dispense with titles and formality? Shame on you!" I cringed, and she laughed. "It's okay, Link. After everything we went through, I don't mind you being casual around me. After all, you did save my life."

I dipped my head in a bow, letting go of her hands. "I should get going. If you see Sheik, tell him I want to see him."

I turned and walked out of the room, hearing her voice murmuring behind me. "Link, if only you knew…"

* * *

Later that night, I was laying on my bed in the Kokiri Woods, trying to catch up on lost sleep, when a knife whizzed out of nowhere and embedded itself in the wood next to me, a mere hairsbreadth from my nose. I moved reflexively to defend myself, then a hand planted itself on my chest, shoving me back onto the bed. A pair of dark eyes stared down at me, barely discernable in the darkness. I grunted, trying to throw the person's weight off of me, but there was no leverage to use. "Hold still," an accented voice commanded.

I stiffened involuntarily. "Sheik?"

I heard a low chuckle, the hand pressing down even harder. "You were not expecting me? I was under the impression you wanted to see me." His free hand came around and yanked the knife from the wall, the tip of the blade tickling my nose before moving to press against my neck. "Speak. Why did you wish to see me?"

"Undo the spell."

"Why? Do you not like the color? I can make your hair turn green like Saria's if you want."

I shuddered at the thought. "No. Just undo the spell."

"Is that all you wanted to see me about? If so, then goodbye. You may or may not see me again in the future."

"Oh, no you don't!" I ignored the knife and reached up, grabbing his arm and wrenching him away from me. I was actually surprised when he gave way easily, stumbling back with a grunt. _Wait a second…I'm actually…stronger than him?_ Sheik was glaring now, looking more intimidating than a Gibdo because of how he was shrouded in darkness, his knife glinting in what little light there was.

I stood quickly, hoping I hadn't just ignited his wrath, but, strangely enough, he chuckled. "You are certainly stubborn, Hero." He dipped his head in a bow, then turned to leave.

Unthinkingly, I lunged after him, grabbing his arm to halt him. He stiffened, his eyes narrowing dangerously, and I let go quickly. "Wait, Sheik, don't go yet. I…I wanted to ask you something."

"Then ask."

I took a deep breath. "How did that creature come back to life? What brought it back?"

He snarled quietly. "You think I know? Matters of death are best left in the hands of the sages; I do not dare inquire."

That shocked me. _He's actually as clueless as I am on this matter. _"Then…how can I contact Impa? Maybe she knows."

"She is within the Sacred Realm. You cannot reach her."

I hesitated, then decided to voice my fears. "What if the shadow beast isn't the only creature that came back? What if I have to fight the Temple monsters all over again?"

He shrugged. "If they all have indeed returned, then you must defeat them once more. That is simply the way of things."

"But I had Navi and the Master Sword back when I defeated them all; how can I do it all over again, this time without any help? Tannin can't come with me, because he has to protect Kakariko."

He was silent for a long time, then, just as I was about to say something, he spoke. "If you truly believe that you will need help and guidance, Hero, then you will receive it."

He took two paces away from me, then vanished through the door, leaving me standing in my darkened house feeling very confused. _It would be really nice if he would just say what he meant without using riddles to get his point across._

* * *

"Link? Are you home?"

I groaned, rolling out of bed and staring wearily out the door at the Kokiri girl who stood there. "Silve? What do you need?"

She came in hesitantly, staring up at me, so I sat back down to look into her eyes. "I…a stranger came to the Lost Woods. A Big Person. He didn't seem lost; in fact, he seemed to know exactly where he was going. I warned him to stay away from the Sacred Grove, but he didn't even acknowledge, he just looked at me and told me to give the Hylian Kokiri a message. Hylian Kokiri…that's you, Link."

"What was the message?"

"'Three terrors from seven years past return again to haunt the one who triumphed,'" she said confidently. "I made sure I didn't forget a single word; I even wrote it down."

"Okay. Thanks, Silve."

"No problem!" she said cheerfully, turning and running out. I left my house slowly, sitting on my porch and gazing out at the village.

_Three terrors from seven years past? _Seven years past could only mean from when I was a child, when I had first set out to save Hyrule. _The hero who triumphed…that can only mean me. Three terrors…what is there from my childhood that I was scared of?_ To be honest, there was a long list, and I had trouble picking any particular three. I instead tried to figure out the people who the message could have been from. It wasn't that long of a list. In fact, there were only two. Sheik and Saria. Saria was a Kokiri, not a Big Person, also known as a Hylian, which only left Sheik.

_What does this mean? Are my fears realized? Are the Temple monsters returning?_ I finally grew frustrated, taking out my ocarina and slowly, haltingly, playing that strange song that Sheik had been fond of. He had never named it; it was just a simple, lighthearted tune that he seemed to play with ease.

All of a sudden, I heard a low voice, singing in perfect time with the song. I didn't dare stop playing, although I knew it was Sheik that I was hearing. _What is this song? What does it mean?_ The words were in Ancient Hylian, a language which I did not know, and I longed to understand. Then the singing stopped as Sheik's agile form came down from above, landing beside me in a crouch.

Surprisingly, rather than straightening up and uttering something profound like he usually did, he sat beside me, his scarlet eyes fixed on one of the many forest sprites that was dancing through the air. "You learned that song well," he said softly.

"Does it have a name?"

"The Melody of Souls. It was something I composed one dark night as I sat on the summit of Death Mountain, waiting for the dawn and the day when the Hero of Time would appear."

I glanced sideways at him. "What are the words to it?"

"Ever clear, ever bright, stars burning through the night. Heroes rising, evil falling, fairies laughing, sages dancing. Light is flooding, darkness fading, children singing through the ages where those who have long been gone return again to lead us on."

"It sounds full of hope."

"I composed it in anticipation of the Hero's arrival. To me, it reflected what Hyrule would become when you came."

I frowned. "You really put a lot of trust in me, didn't you? What would you have done if I had failed?"

"Died."

"Sheik, I'm serious."

"So am I. We all would have perished. If you had failed, that would have driven out all of the people's last hopes."

I was astonished. "You really put that much trust in my ability? I was a kid! Though I may have aged seven years in one day, mentally, I was still a child! Why did you guys immediately decide that I would be powerful enough?"

"Zelda chose you because of her dream. All occurred as she foretold, and Impa and I…we chose to trust her."

"What was your opinion of me?"

He chuckled quietly. "You really wish to know?"

"Yes, please, tell me."

"Very well, then. I thought you were inexperienced. Untrained. I felt certain that you would be slaughtered by the first foe you came across. When you got yourself beaten up by Volvagia, that only reinforced my view. I sincerely believed Zelda had chosen the wrong person. The only reason I even bothered teaching you those songs was because you would never be able to do much without them."

I sighed. "I don't blame you. I was so…"

"Stupid."

I rolled my eyes. "I was going to say 'naïve.'"

"That, too," he acknowledged, his shoulders trembling, and I realized he was straining to hold back laughter.

I smiled. "What ever happened to you being the silent observer, only showing yourself to teach me a song? I think this is the longest I've ever been in contact with you. It's certainly the first time I've ever had a proper conversation with you."

"I was tasked to remain in the shadows as long as Ganondorf reigned. Now that he is gone, there is less of a need for such secrecy."

"If there's no need for secrecy anymore, then are you finally going to tell me your real name?"

He glared at me. "I said _less_ of a need for secrecy."

"_Please_?" I begged. "It just feels so weird to call you 'Sheik of the Sheikahs.' It's the most uninventive alias I've ever heard."

The corners of his eyes crinkled slightly. "True. But no."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"At least tell me how old you are!"

"Why is my identity so important to you?"

I gave him my most fearsome look, but he seemed totally unintimidated. "It doesn't matter. How old are you?"

"I will be turning three next month."

"_Sheik_," I groaned.

This time he actually did laugh. "How old are _you_, Hero?"

"Twenty-two," I replied automatically.

He shrugged. "The answer to your question lies in the answer to my question."

I gave him a look of disbelief. "_What_? Are you seriously saying that you're the same age as me?"

"Precisely."

"And yet you seem so much more powerful," I mused.

"I was trained by the Sheikah. You learned through trial-and-error and improvisation. My magical skills far exceed yours. I have seven years of experience that you missed out on."

"I could wield magic before I acquired the Triforce, you know."

"I know. You have more magical ability than me, but you have never been trained, therefore, I am more powerful than you."

I sighed. "It's not really my fault, you know. No one besides Tannin has ever bothered to train me."

"_Ahlo erif_," he said abruptly, holding out his hand, and, to my surprise, a ball of crackling fire formed in his palm briefly before fading away. "That was one of the simplest of spells. Guide the ending results and your intentions with your thoughts."

_He's actually teaching me. _"What does _ahlo_ mean?"

"It precedes every spell, almost like the indentation of a paragraph. _Erif_ means fire."

"_Ahlo erif_," I said softly, holding out my hand and envisioning a ball of fire forming in my palm like the one Sheik had summoned. To my joy, the spell formed easily, the flames suspended above my hand. "How come it doesn't burn me?"

"Your subconscious knows that fire hurts, and you construct a magical shield around your hand, whether you are aware of it or not."

With a single thought, I made the flames disappear, then I smiled at him. "Thanks. Will you…teach me more?"

"Perhaps."

"That means yes!"

"In what culture has the word 'perhaps' ever meant 'yes?'"

"In Kokiri culture," I replied with a grin.

"Well, I am not a Kokiri. I am a Sheikah. And among my people, the word 'perhaps' means I may say yes, but I might also say no."

"You meant to say yes, I know you did!"

He sighed emphatically, then vaulted off of my porch with ease, landing on the forest floor and walking through the Kokiri Village. I quickly jumped down after him, following him curiously. This was the first time I'd ever actually seen him _walk_ anywhere; usually, he just vanished and reappeared elsewhere. Soon, his path brought us both into the Lost Woods, where he stopped dead in the center of the clearing, his scarlet gaze flickering between the three, black portals. "How do the Kokiri find their way?"

I grinned, pointing towards the correct one before walking through it with him close behind me. "We follow the music. The correct path is different every time; just when you think you've memorized the way, it changes."

"Ah." Then he promptly veered left and through the correct portal. I stared at him in surprise, and he shrugged. "I have always had a good ear for music. Once you told me that…I believe finding my way will be much easier now."

"Saria might kill me for revealing the secret of the forest to you."

"I will defend you by saying that I pinned you down and interrogated you for hours to force you to give me the secret. I can say you screamed pathetically."

"You wouldn't!"

"I will if she asks," he said, his voice tinged with amusement.

"Fine, but leave out the screaming part."

"Why? It is so entertaining."

"Sheik, if you tell Saria that I screamed, you will die!"

We soon reached the Sacred Grove, and he gazed at the Forest Pedestal, seemingly oblivious to my threat. "This place is always untouched by time. Truly a haven to those weary of the world."

I frowned at him. "Why are we here? Was it just because you were feeling poetical again and wanted an audience?"

He chuckled, then drew a long sword from his enchanted belt pouch. "You said you wanted me to teach you more."

"I meant teach me more about magic!" I protested.

"Among the Sheikah, when someone says something, they mean it literally. There is no such thing as insinuation or sarcasm."

"Oh. That explains why you're so boring."

He lunged without warning, and I found myself diving to one side and rolling forward, drawing my sword and barely blocking his first slash. "I didn't think you were going to try to kill me!"

"I'm not. This blade is dulled with magic. The most you will receive is a bruise. I have dulled your blade as well."

I decided that he was grinning at me, if his tone of voice was anything to go by. I glared at him, then swung my blade, an attack which he blocked and countered easily. "What is the point of this? You already know how skilled of a fighter I am."

"You have a tendency to lean your weight to the right when you attack," he observed, thrusting at me. I blocked, then spun and slashed at his left arm, hoping to hit his shoulder with the flat of my blade, which would be a numbing blow.

Again, he countered, and the flat of his blade struck me on my elbow, paralyzing my right arm. _Good thing I'm left-handed._ Then he poked me lightly with the tip of the blade, spiraling away to hit my back. I growled, starting to get annoyed. "Why does it matter how I fight? In case you never noticed, I have a mild limp."

"Yes, I have noticed. You need to learn how to compensate for that. Balance most of your weight on your left foot; you always lean as far to the left as possible to compensate, but you need to learn how to place your weight further down so that you are not easily unbalanced."

I crouched and swung at his legs, then leapt to the side and slashed at his side; both attacks failed to hit their mark, to my disappointment, then Sheik pricked me with his blade again. "Ow! You may have dulled the blade, but that still hurts!"

"Learn to compensate."

"Is everything about compensation with you?"

"Concerning countering a disability, then yes." He attacked again in a flurry of slashes directed towards my face, his sudden ferocity driving me backwards. "Among the Sheikah, we are taught to win the battle at all costs, no matter what wounds we may have, and no matter how we may be restricted. Your purpose is to _win_ this fight against me, Link, not just survive."

"I'm trying to win!" I shouted, getting frustrated as my attacks missed him again and again.

"Try harder," he hissed, stabbing me in the ribs.

I yelled in pain, then jumped and rolled sideways, coming up in a devastating back slice. Somehow, he even managed to dodge that, and I found myself becoming angry, increasing the pace of my attacks. _How is he so much faster than me? I have the Triforce!_ I did every attack I knew, ranging from the simplest to the fanciest, but he was able to either block or avoid every one, even the mortal draw.

The Sheikah leapt up onto Saria's log, balanced there easily with his blade pointed directly at me. _Okay, now he's just taunting me._ Furious, I dropped my sword and charged, bulling into him and knocking him off onto the ground. He grunted in surprise, his strong, slender hands locking onto my wrists, and I gasped as he used our momentum to flip me over his head. In an instant, I found myself flat on my back, but, remembering that I was stronger than he, I rolled sideways, grabbing his shoulders firmly and pinning him.

His scarlet eyes glared up at me, then he wrenched a shoulder from my grip and punched me solidly between the eyes. I reeled back, grabbing blindly for something solid, and I felt my fingers curl around something soft that tore in my hand as I fell onto my back again. "Ouch," I muttered, sitting up slowly, grimacing. I glanced down at my hand, seeing that I held a scrap of white fabric, then I glanced at Sheik, praying that he wouldn't be aiming a bow at me, or something.

To my surprise, he was laying flat, blood oozing out of a wound to his head, and the mask covering his face was gone. I went over to him cautiously, then stiffened, utterly shocked. His slack features were easily visible, and I found myself staring down at a face…that was mine. Sheik looked identical to me.

* * *

A/N: This whole thing takes place five years after _Dragon Sword_, by the way.


	3. Lorian

A/N: For any who were confused about Sheik being identical to Link, then no, he's not Dark Link, or Oni-Link. Just pointing that out. XD

* * *

**Chapter 3: Lorian**

I didn't have time to wonder about this, though, because the man was obviously bleeding, and a quick look at the blood-covered tree stump told me what, exactly, he had banged his head against. I bent down, carefully scooping him up in my arms, then began jogging, soon exiting the Lost Woods and entering the Kokiri Village, running straight to my house.

It was exceedingly difficult to climb a ladder while carrying a man, but I somehow managed, going inside and laying him carefully on my bed before dipping the scrap of cloth into a wash basin and dabbing gently at the injury. Might as well make some kind of use out of the torn mask, anyway. Thankfully, it was less serious than it had looked before, and once the blood was washed away, I could see it was a thin, crescent-shaped cut, about two inches long.

Now that the seriousness of the situation was over, I sat down and stared at him, studying his face, fascinated. This was the first time I'd ever seen more of him than just his eyes, and it was unnerving how he looked almost exactly like me. When I took out my mirror shield to confirm this, I found that the only differences I could discern was our eye color, and the fact that I was more muscular than him. Well, _was_ eye color, anyway, before the glamor.

_This is just plain creepy._ I didn't want anyone coming into my house to find the unconscious Sheikah, so I played the Sun's Song, transforming the forest as night came within seconds. I didn't usually like using my ocarina to manipulate the world around me, but it seemed to be a good idea for the moment, considering how he probably wouldn't be too happy if he woke up to a crowd of curious Kokiri gathered around him. I then began slowly playing Zelda's Lullaby, hoping that he wouldn't be angry at me when he awoke.

Surprisingly, I didn't have long to wait. Soon, he shifted, his eyes opening slightly, and I watched, fascinated, as he frowned up at the ceiling. Such a simple facial expression, yet, coming from him, it was utterly alien. Then his gaze flickered to his right, settling on me. All at once, his muscles tensed, and he sat up quickly, swaying slightly from what I guessed was the headache he was sure to have. "Where are we?" he asked softly.

I shrugged, putting away my ocarina. "In my house in the Kokiri Forest. Are you okay? You banged your head pretty hard."

His brow furrowed. "I am fine. You brought me here?"

"Yeah, considering how I was kinda worried about you."

"I heal quickly. What happened?"

"You punched me, and the force of the impact drove us apart. You banged your head on the tree stump."

He sighed. "So careless."

"Hey, Sheik, it's not your fault. I'm the idiot that tackled you."

Surprisingly, he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling in that familiar way. "True enough. You often have a lapse of reasoning."

I glared at him, but didn't respond, knowing that he was right. I instead tossed him a bottle of red potion. "Here. I didn't want to force it down your throat."

His eyes widened, his hand going up to touch his face, then his expression changed into one of intimidation. "What did you do?"

I shivered; he had drawn out each word so that it came out as more of an accusation than a question. "I'm sorry, Sheik, I didn't mean to. When you punched me, I lashed out blindly and accidentally tore your face covering. It was too ripped to be used again."

He somehow managed to frighten me more by being completely silent than he would have if he had said something, and I watched apprehensively as he slowly drank the potion, not even twitching at the terrible flavor of it. Then his gaze met mine, his face entirely expressionless. "So. Now you know."

I gulped. "Know what?"

"If you have a mirror, you already know the answer."

I instantly knew what he meant. "You mean how you look like me," I stated calmly, though not without some fear.

He nodded, still impassive. "That is why I kept my face hidden for all these years. Why I was always a minstrel of the shadows."

"But…how is it even possible? Are you like Dark?"

He didn't even blink. "Dark?"

"Dark Link," I muttered. "He is everything that I'm not. My evil side, so to speak. Ruto said that he was created by Ganondorf for the sole purpose of causing me pain. I first met him in the Water Temple."

Without warning, he chuckled. "Then no, I am not like Dark."

"Then…what are you?"

"Your twin," he said without even cracking a smile.

I just stared at him. "You're kidding, right?"

"Not at all. We are twins, born only minutes apart."

I thought that over carefully. "So that makes us…brothers?"

"Yes."

I was stunned. _Sheik, one of the greatest warriors I've ever met, and one of the legendary Shadow People…is my brother. _"But wait a second…I'm Hylian. You're Sheikah. They are two distinctly different races. I mean, you've even got the red eyes to prove it. I might look like a Sheikah right now, thanks to your glamor, but I'm not one."

He smirked. "Glamors are marvelous things. With a single spell, it is possible to alter skin color, hair color, and eye color until you look like the opposite of your true self."

"I'm sure. Are you going to undo the spell on me now?"

He chuckled. "I'm going to undo _a_ spell."

I cocked my head, confused, then his face became washed in a pale, amber glow, and I watched in shocked captivation as his scarlet irises slowly swirled into a pale gray before flooding with a rich sapphire color. In a single shimmer of light, Sheik truly became my twin. He now looked exactly like me, right down to the eyes.

"You were never a Sheikah to begin with," I said softly. "It was only a spell. Only a glamor."

"I am Sheikah in my heart, and I was raised as a Sheikah. Only physically am I Hylian." He looked about to recast the spell, when a small form suddenly materialized between us.

Sheik drew back with a hiss, grabbing my mirror shield and hiding behind it, and I grinned, kneeling down to be at eye level with Mido. "You don't know the concept of knocking, do you?" I asked jokingly, knowing what the answer would be.

He raised one eyebrow contemptuously. "What happened to you, Wolfos Breath?"

"I've decided to become a Sheikah," I told him, straight-faced.

He snorted. "We both know _that's_ never going to happen. Who is that guy, and why is he hiding behind your shield?"

I glanced at Sheik, who was holding the shield right in front of his face. "Um, that's just a friend of mine. He's just…shy. Leave him alone, Mido. What do you want?"

"Saria told me that you need to go to the Temple of Time immediately. She didn't say why."

With that, he vanished again, and Sheik threw my shield at me head. I caught it just before it hit me. "What was that for?"

"'Shy?'" he repeated menacingly.

I sighed. "Thank you, Link, for keeping that Kokiri from finding out that I look exactly like you."

He rolled his eyes, but I caught the hint of a smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Brother," I said, bowing.

He glowered at me. "You should go to Castle Town."

"What about you? I mean, it's not like you can hide your face anymore, not now that I accidentally ripped your mask." In answer, he unbound the bandages from his left arm and rewrapped them around his mouth and nose, once more becoming anonymous, his eyes flooding with that scarlet color again. I shrugged. "So _that's_ why you have so many bandages covering you."

He nodded, chuckling, then walked out the door, leaping upwards to climb onto the roof of my house. I watched curiously as he vanished yet again, and swore to find out how he did that. I climbed down from my porch and went out of the forest, calling Epona. As I rode towards the village, I mused on the day's findings, separating my thoughts into short sentences. _Sheik is the same age as me. He is my twin brother. He is a better swordsman than I am. He is more skilled in magic than I am. He gave me a message about three terrors from my childhood. I need to find out what those three terrors are._

I dismounted Epona in the town, going into the Temple of Time, then I jumped in shock when the tall, intimidating, Sheikah woman materialized beside me. She looked even less friendly than she had when Kakariko Village had been under attack. "Your skills are much needed, Hero of Time."

"Okay…what's wrong?"

She reached out and grabbed me by the arm, and I felt a strange pulling sensation, closing my eyes. When I opened them again, I was standing on a golden Triforce symbol on a huge, water-covered platform that floated in a dark abyss. I was now within the Sacred Realm, in the Chamber of the Sages. Six, colored pedestals surrounded me, and on each of them were the six sages.

Rauru. Saria. Darunia. Ruto. Impa. Nabooru. Each of them looked grim and determined, which made me feel kind of threatened. It was Rauru who spoke first. "The beast of the Shadow Temple was destroyed by you. Again. We do not know why it has come back, but we are concerned that the other temples may also be reinhabited."

"Why don't you guys just investigate? They're your temples."

Ruto sighed. "There is some dark force limiting our power. None of us can enter our temples anymore."

"So you want me to go into the temples and find out whether or not there are monsters there again," I concluded.

Impa nodded. "Yes."

_Sounds simple enough. After all, Zelda already said that only the power of the Triforce could bring something back to life. Bongo being alive must have been a fluke; maybe Navi hadn't even killed him the first time, and he was only wounded._ "Okay, I'll do it."

"Thank you, Hero," Nabooru said with a smile.

There was a flash, then I found myself standing in the Temple again. _Meetings with the sages are always interesting._ "Link."

I yelped, whirling around to find myself face-to-face with Sheik. "Don't do that!" I scolded. "What if I had drawn my sword?"

"I would have dodged your blow and you would be in severe pain for about a week," he replied amusedly, walking outside.

I went after him. "How did you follow me here so quickly?"

"The Prelude of Light."

I felt rather foolish now. "Oh. Why did you follow me?"

He took out his lyre and idly plucked a few notes. "I was merely interested in what the sages wished to see you about."

"And what if I don't want to tell you?" I asked hotly.

I wasn't sure, but it looked almost like he was grinning, if his eyes were anything to go by. "I could always carry out my theory of interrogation…it would be interesting to hear you scream."

I folded my arms across my chest defensively. "For my brother, you're not very nice to me."

"A friend loves at all times, but a brother is born for adversity,"* he said with a chuckle.

I frowned at him. "Are you getting poetical again?"

"That is merely a phrase I read in a book once. So true, however." Before I could respond, he shoved me down another alleyway. I growled, pushing against him, and for a moment I was winning, then he grabbed my wrist and twisted it painfully behind me.

"Ow! What is _wrong_ with you?"

"I am twenty minutes older than you, so you have to obey me," he replied with a snicker, pushing me forcibly down an alley.

"Since when do siblings have to obey each other?" I complained. He didn't reply, and soon, I found myself standing in front of a metal grate. Wordlessly, Sheik let go of me and opened the grate, gesturing at the dark hole. I quickly realized what he was indicating. "No way! I'm not going into Castle Town's sewers!"

He kicked me in despite my resistance, and I landed flat on my back in a dank, dark tunnel, surrounded by refuse. "Never say something like that unless you have the strength to back it up."

"Ugh," I grumbled, standing slowly. "You haven't been my brother for _one day_ and I'm already getting sick of you."

He chuckled, then prodded me down one of the narrow tunnels. I tried my best to avoid stepping in anything, but it was exceedingly difficult. "This way, Link," he muttered, yanking me back to the main path when I accidentally took a wrong turn.

"Hey, Sheik, can I ask you something?"

He went ahead of me to a wooden door that had somehow gotten into the sewers. "I cannot guarantee that you will receive an answer, but you may ask."

"What's your real name?"

"I thought we already went over this."

"Yeah, but that was before we were brothers," I pointed out smugly. By way of response, he kicked me, and I stepped back a few paces. "Hey! What is it with you?"

"Help me move this door," he grunted, straining against the artifact of interest.

"We might be twins, but when it comes to strength, I think I'm at the deep end of the gene pool."*

He growled, and I grinned, putting my shoulder against the door and shoving it away to reveal…a blank wall, which Sheik promptly walked through. I followed him, realizing that it was another of those Sheikah illusion things that I had seen, and the hallway before us was lined with large, grasping hands that seemed to emerge from the stone. I stopped dead in my tracks, not wanting to go forward at all, but the man just grabbed me and yanked me forward. "Do not fear. They cannot harm me."

"Oh, how reassuring," I snapped. "I think they can still harm _me_, however. How do you kill those things?"

He merely held up one hand, and the hands immediately retracted into the walls with a hiss. "They recognize my right to be here. The dexihands were first placed here by the Sheikah."

I hurried past the group of hands as quickly as possible, shivering at the thought of them touching me. "But you're technically not a Sheikah, so how do they recognize you as one?"

"They still recognize my right. They see my clothing, my eyes, and they _know_. They are creatures of magic." He stopped in front of a huge chest, kneeling to open it. Inside, I saw a number of extraordinarily familiar objects. A longshot, a bomb bag, a bow and a quiver of arrows, some kind of ethereal, white boomerang,* and even a pair of Hover Boots. He collected them all, tucking them into his enchanted belt pouch, then he handed me something. A mask.

It was carved to look like the face of a hawk, painted different shades of blue and yellow, and shielded the wearer's eyes and nose, leaving his or her mouth uncovered. "What is this?"

"Hawkeye. It should prove useful to you."

I shrugged, stuffing it into my pouch. I didn't see the use of a mask, but if it was anything like the Mask of Truth, it probably did something that was of value. "So we came down here just to get some weapons? Why did you have to drag me down with you?"

He handed me something else. A small diamond with a golden spark in the center. "The fourth spell."

"Fourth?"

"After Din's Fire, Farore's Wind, and Nayru's Love, there is also Ordon's Power. Use it only when you are overwhelmed and there is no hope left for your salvation."

"What does it do?"

"It kills everything in the room that isn't you."

I shuddered. "I definitely won't use it unless necessary."

"Good. Now let us go before the dexihands lose their patience."

I followed him out quickly, and, to my surprise, the door that led into open air once more actually opened out onto the pool where the flow of Zora's River ended. Sheik and I were standing on the bank, and the only way to get to the main field was by crossing the water. I smiled at him. "Hey, Sheik?"

"Yes?" he answered absentmindedly, his scarlet eyes scanning the horizon warily.

"You're filthy."

He glanced sideways at me, his eyes sparkling with good humor. "You look far worse than I do, Hero of Time."

I shrugged, then lunged, planting my hands in the middle of his back and shoving him forward into the pool. To his credit, the only noise he made was a small gasp of shock before he was immersed completely, and I laughed, jumping in after him. He soon came back to the surface, his red eyes blazing with fury, and I grinned innocently; the water was up to our shoulders. "Like I said: you're filthy. Even Sheikah take baths, don't they?"

Without waiting for him to respond, I dove under and scrubbed myself thoroughly, glad to finally be rid of the grime from the sewers. When I was finished, I resurfaced, feeling refreshed.

Sheik still hadn't moved, his eyes narrowed, then he abruptly chuckled, shaking his head and pulling the bandages around his face down to his neck, exposing the fact that he was smiling. "Sometimes, I wonder how you lasted this long."

I gave him a look of horror. "You're not confident in my skills?"

"I know you have skills, but jumping into a pool to take a bath without checking to make sure there are no enemies first is suicide." I looked down, knowing he was right, then he punched my shoulder lightly. "So it's a good thing I was standing here guarding you."

Without warning, he dove underneath, and I watched as he just floated there, totally submerged. _I guess he's finally loosening up a bit. Nice to know he's not always serious._ Then I felt my legs vanish from under me, and I yelped, gulping in a mouthful of water before I had the good sense to hold my breath. I struggled back to the surface, gasping in a lungful of air before I noticed that Sheik was standing there, laughing at me.

I glared at him, but was unable to hold back my own laughter. "Already acting like a brother."

"I am sorry, you gave me the perfect opportunity."

"I learn more about you all the time, it seems."

I was still trying to grasp the fact that I was actually seeing his face, not just his eyes, and it still seemed strange that he was smiling at me. We spent the next few minutes in that pool, alternately washing ourselves of any remaining sewage and dunking each other playfully before crawling up onto the bank and letting the sun dry us out. I sighed, closing my eyes as I softly hummed the Minuet of Forest, thinking about what I might encounter in the temple.

"You are acting pensive, Link."

I stopped humming, rolling over to glare at him. The man was laid on his back, hands clasped and eyes closed. Honestly, it was the first time I had ever seen him look so benign and, well…_normal_. "You really want to know what the sages talked to me about?"

"Enlighten me."

"They told me that it's possible that all of the temple monsters are back, and that I have to go to the temples again to fight those monsters if it's true. To be honest, I'm apprehensive. Bongo was bad enough; Morpha was ten times worse."

He growled, but didn't complain about my use of Bongo's name. "What was Morpha?"

"The beast of the Water Temple. It nearly killed me. If I hadn't had a fairy on hand, I'd be dead."

He opened his eyes and frowned. "You didn't seem wounded when I spoke to you, shortly before you went back to Tannin."

"I was still sore, but the fairy healed me enough that I was able to make it to Althalos' laboratory and get some blue potions." Something occurred to me. "How did you know what went on? You vanished as soon as I finished talking to you."

He smirked. "Link, Impa trained me for one purpose: to be the Hero's Shadow. I was alongside you for almost every step of your journey without you realizing it. Sometimes I even came so close that we brushed against each other. I was in trees, on top of rocks, in the darkest corners of the temples. Even after you saved Hyrule, I still fulfilled my role as the Shadow. There is not much that happened in your life that I do not know of."

I was stunned. "Your entire purpose in life was to stalk me?"

"You could say that. Blame Impa."

"I'd rather stay on her good side, thank you very much. She scares me far worse than Bongo did."

He laughed. "I confess, I already knew something of why the sages wished to talk to you. Impa had spoken to me earlier, which is one of the reasons why we went into those old tunnels. If I am to aid you, I needed to tools to do so."

I jolted. "Wait a second…you're…going to help me?"

"Of course. The last time you fought the temple monsters, you had the Master Sword and a fairy to guide you. Those are two advantages which you lack at the moment."

"Oh. Thank you."

He nodded. "Impa suggested that maybe it was time I stopped being the Hero's Shadow…and started being the Hero's Friend."

I grinned. "Or the Hero's Brother." He pointedly ignored that, and we laid there silently for a few moments longer before I sighed. "Hey, Sheik, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"What's your real name?"

He groaned, rolling over and burying his face in the ground. "This is the _third _time you have asked me that!"

"_Please_?" He didn't answer, so I leaned over and tickled his ear with the tip of my hat.

"Alright, that's it!"

I yelled as he tackled me, pinning me against the ground one-handed, his eyes blazing. I smiled sheepishly. "Truce?"

He shook his head, his free hand sparking with magic. "You cause far too much trouble, Hero."

I tensed as he trailed his fingertips across my forehead, then he smirked, letting go and backing off. I didn't move for a long time as I felt a warm, prickling sensation across my scalp, then I sat up and rushed to the water, peering down at my reflection warily.

He had inverted the spell. Now my eyes were pure white, and my hair was bright red. I groaned. "_Sheik_!"

He laughed again, laying back down. "You asked for it. Lorian."

"What?"

"My real name is Lorian."

"_Finally_!"

"Do not make me regret telling you. I can do far worse than altering your hair and eyes."

I folded my arms across my chest. "Doubtful."

"You would look quite interesting if you were bald…"

I backed up. "You stay away from me!"

He laughed again, standing. "Relax, Link, I'm not _that_ cruel."

I shrugged, then took out my ocarina, smirking at him. "I'm wondering how good you are at tracking."

"I could find you no matter where you hid."

I played the Nocturne of Shadow before he could say anything else, then felt myself enveloped in light as I was instantly transported to the Kakariko Graveyard. Then I played the Minuet of Forest, teleporting myself to the Lost Woods. _Try finding me now, Sheik._

* * *

I shuddered as an icy-cold hand touched my neck, then something jabbed into my ribs. I yelped, but some invisible force was holding me down as a razor-sharp knife was pulled through my flesh, causing me to scream. I whimpered helplessly as the blade sliced easily through my skin, digging, probing, until it became hopeless. There was no escape.

* * *

* A quote from the Bible. XD So very true...

* A twist on what Scar said in The Lion King. :P

* Recognize the Gale Boomerang, anyone? XD

A/N: Transition from humor to creepy was abrupt, I know. XD


	4. Lessons

**Chapter 4: Lessons**

Fire burned bright and green, floating somewhere above me, suspended by nothing as a pair of scarlet eyes stared down at me. I forced myself to focus on Sheik's face, and I tried to sit up, but he placed his hands on my shoulders and pressed me back down easily. I fought, trying to get up, but he was somehow stronger than me. "Link, calm down. You're going to worsen it."

I struggled, finding quickly that both my wrists and legs were tied securely to the bed; the only part of me that I could lift away from the mattress was my head and shoulders. I frowned at the man in confusion as the green fire vanished. "Sheik…what happened?"

"I found you laying in the Lost Woods with a giant spear sticking out of your chest, that's what happened. You're lucky I found you before that moblin could finish you off."

I glanced down at myself, seeing that, while I looked normal, I had been stripped down to my waist, and most of the skin of my chest was pink, like a gigantic version of a newly healed scar. "You…did you heal me with magic?"

"You're lucky I was properly trained, otherwise the spell would have killed me," he growled.

"Sheik, I-I'm sorry."

He shook his head, slowly untying the ropes that held me down. "Try not to move quickly; you're still not fully healed. It's a miracle that the spear didn't impact any of your vital organs."

I cautiously eased myself into a sitting position, wincing at the pain, then I noticed something. Sheik's face wasn't veiled, and he was glowering at me. I frowned, surprised that I hadn't noticed before. "Um…are you okay?"

"_You almost got yourself killed_!" he hissed angrily, turning and stalking towards the door, pressing both hands to the wall and bowing his head, his shoulders trembling.

I just stared at him, confused, then I sighed, standing carefully and searching until I found my tunic, pulling it on. "It's not exactly the first time it has happened, Sheik."

He straightened up and turned ever so slowly, his gaze filled with fury and condemnation. "Exactly! Every single time I have ever let you out of my sight, you always end up in mortal danger! This time you evaded me _intentionally_! How can I protect you if you're always trying to get away from me?"

I froze, dumbfounded, as he stood there, his hands clenched into fists; it was the first time I had ever heard him raise his voice like that. Finally, I spoke softly. "Why would you be trying to protect me?"

He gave me a severe look, seeming to calm down. "My role as the Hero's Shadow extends beyond mere surveillance. I have saved your life many times without you even knowing of my presence. Every time you have come close to death, from your battle with Volvagia to when you faced Morpha, it was always when I was not there. I tried to stay close, but sometimes, I was not able to, and when I was inadvertently separated from you, you always ended up almost dying."

"How long have you been my Shadow, anyway?"

"Since you first took up the Master Sword." He frowned, folding his arms across his chest. "_Never_ attempt to evade me again, Hero."

I scowled at him. "You know, sometimes, I do like to have a bit of privacy. I hope you're not watching me _all_ the time."

He smirked, but didn't reply at first, instead coming over and checking the scar left by the moblin's spear carefully; I drew my breath sharply when he suddenly grabbed a fistful of my hair, wrenching me back so that I was pinned against the wall, his scarlet eyes mere inches from my own. When he spoke, his voice was low and filled with warning. "If you ever seek to elude me again, Link, I will never give you a moment's peace and you will be made _constantly_ aware of my presence."

I glared at him, and he returned the expression. I eventually gave up. "Fine. I promise, I won't ever try to avoid you again."

"Good." He let go of me, his fingers flaring abruptly with magic, and I cringed, shrinking back, but there was nowhere to go; he cornered me easily.

I sighed as I felt the prickling effects of the magic. "What now? Bright orange hair and solid black eyes?"

He grinned. "I could do that…"

I gave him my most ferocious look. "You'd better not!

He laughed. "Relax, Link. I didn't do anything. You learned your lesson well."

"Lesson?" I demanded. "What lesson?"

"The lesson about vanity. You cared far too much about your appearance. I seem to have cured you of that."

I frowned, walking over to the mirror that sat on a small table, then I felt a spark of joy. "You dispelled the glamor!"

He shrugged, but I noticed the corners of his mouth twitching as he leaned against the wall. "Mark my words, Hero, if I ever catch you being concerned with your physical appearance again, I will cast a glamor on you that will be _permanent_."

I winced. "Okay, okay, I've learned my lesson."

"Do you feel well?" he asked abruptly.

"Yeah. Wounds till hurts some, though."

He held out a bottle. "Take this, then."

I stared at the blue potion in distaste. "Can't I just heal under my own power? It's not like the world needs saving."

"Actually, you still have to go to each of the temples," he said with a chuckle. "Just drink it."

I stuck out my tongue. "Make me."

He drew his knife and prowled closer until the gleaming tip was pressed lightly to my shoulder. "I'd be happy to."

I drank the potion, shuddering as I restrained the urge to spit it back out. "You're evil."

He smiled, sheathing his knife again. "You're learning."

"Learning what?" I retorted. "How cruel brothers can be?"

He laughed again. "You still have so much to understand, Link."

"Enlighten me then, _Lorian_," I growled.

He ignored my use of his real name, instead turning and exiting my house. I quickly grabbed my belt and strapped on my sword and shield, then followed as he once again led me into the Lost Woods. Within fifteen minutes, I found myself standing in the Sacred Grove yet again. He gestured to the broken entrance to the Forest Temple. "What did you encounter within?"

"The Poe Sisters and a lot of ill-tempered skulltulas."

He raised an eyebrow. "What about the shadow creature that had suppressed Saria's power?"

"You mean Ganondorf's Phantom? Well, Ganon himself banished the thing to the gap between dimensions, so I'm assuming that it's impossible for it to come back. I searched every room of that temple; there was nothing there, really."

He nodded. "Well, while you were unconscious, Saria came to me and informed me that the veil of darkness over the temple was dispelled. It must have been the Poe Sisters who caused the veil."

I sat down on the tree stump. "Why are we here? We could have talked about this back at my house."

"Like I said: you still have so much to learn."

"Please tell me this isn't another sword lesson!"

"No, it's not."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

Then he smirked. "It's a lesson in hand-to-hand combat."

I groaned. "You'll beat me."

"How do you know?" He seemed genuinely curious.

"Because I've never fought with my bare hands before!"

He shrugged. "Then I will teach you. As the Hero of Time, you cannot be lacking in skills that may prove vital to you in the future. Up until now, I have allowed you to merely make do and win battles by mere luck, but you _must_ improve."

"You're pretty bossy, you know that?"

"Impa always told me that I was meek and quiet."

"Yeah, well Impa must not have been paying attention," I snapped, annoyed.

He shook his head. "Disarm yourself, Link."

I stared at him blankly. "What?"

"Remove yourself of any and all weapons that you carry."

"_Why_?"

"Because if you find yourself losing the battle, you may lash out in anger again and reflexively draw your sword. Disarm yourself, or I will remove your weapons for you."

Reluctantly, I obeyed, unbuckling my sword belt and dropping it at the base of the stump, then I placed my shield with it. After a moment's hesitation, I took off my belt pouch and placed it carefully inside the curve of the shield, praying that Skullkid wouldn't decide to steal anything. "Are you at least going to teach me before you attack?"

"Yes. Let's begin."

* * *

My brother was a stern instructor, but, thankfully, I found that he was also patient with me. I kept making mistakes because of my limp, but he taught me steadily, never once showing irritation, no matter how many times I messed up on the same move. Despite his patience, he was exacting, and I found myself tiring rapidly, although he seemed as energized as he had before we started.

I didn't even see the blow coming, but suddenly, I found myself flat on my back, my shoulder aching. Sheik stood over me, his gaze reproving. "You lost your focus."

I sighed, and he held out one hand. I took it, allowing him to pull me to a sitting position as I tried to catch my breath. "I'm sorry; I'm just tired, although I know that shouldn't be an excuse."

He sat down, cross-legged, in front of me. "It is alright; I should have ended the session when I sensed your fatigue."

I smiled. "Thanks. Can we be done for the day?"

"We are done training in hand-to-hand combat for that day. However, you're not allowed to go to sleep yet."

I glared at him. "Why am I not surprised?"

"We must travel."

He turned and began walking, and I hurriedly gathered up my weapons, stumbling after him and doing my level best to avoid falling my face. "Can't I just rest? It's almost impossible to focus right now."

He caught me just as I tripped over an abandoned Deku Scrub hole, giving me a warning look. "Watch your step," he muttered, relieving me of my weapons.

"Give those back!" He didn't reply, instead leading me out of the Kokiri Woods. He handed me by belt pouch, which I quickly strapped on, and then my sword and shield. I equipped those as well, following slowly as he walked out into Hyrule Field. "Where are we going?"

"I am going to Death Mountain. You should follow."

He took out his lyre, running his fingers over all of the strings briefly before playing the Bolero of Fire, disappearing in a flash of red light. _Oh, right. I still need to check to see whether or not Volvagia is dead._ I quickly played the song, was engulfed in light, then I gasped, falling over from the intense heat of the Crater. _Idiot! I forgot the Goron tunic!_ I struggled to breathe, then a hand was suddenly on my shoulder, and I glanced up as I felt a cool breeze waft over me.

"Thanks," I muttered, standing slowly.

Sheik looked amused. "Forgetting something, Hero?"

I growled, taking the Goron tunic from my belt pouch and putting it on. The red garment was enchanted to protect from fire and heat. Once the tunic was equipped, Sheik let go of me, and the cool air disappeared.

"How come you're not affected by the heat?"

He chuckled. "I'm protecting myself."

I eyed him skeptically. "You really intend to come with me?"

"Yes, to make sure you do not get yourself killed by a torch slug."

I glared at him, then turned and stalked towards the deep pit that led into the Fire Temple. I began climbing down the ladder, then flinched as a dark shape hurtled past me. I slid down the rest of the way, staring at Sheik, who was calmly inspecting the room.

"Were you with me the first time I went through this place?"

"Of course," he replied, stabbing a fire keese with one of his knives. "You would have been eaten by Volvagia if I had not been here."

"Hopefully, it won't be alive. Surely the Gorons would have reported any strange disturbances?"

He wrapped his face so that, once again, all I could see of him was his eyes. "In case you have forgotten, the Gorons tend to be stubborn and proud. They do not easily accept help, and almost never ask for it. It is quite possible that they simply did not wish to contact anyone in the hopes of defeating any enemies by themselves."

We went forward, and I veered left, going through the door. To my relief, the stone pillar was still there, so I leapt across and entered the chamber. It appeared the same as it had the last time; just a round, stone platform with many pits of fire. "It doesn't look like anyone's here," I murmured, jumping down onto the platform.

Sheik seemed preoccupied, kneeling by one of the fire pits. "I sense…rage. A lingering aura that pervades this chamber."

I shot him an annoyed glance. "Can't you speak without saying something profound or poetical?" He straightened up and extended one hand, a crackling ball of blue magic materializing. He then dropped the magic into the fire. I frowned. "What did that do?"

A thunderous roar shook the cavern before he could reply, and I was knocked down as a massive beast shot out of one of the pits and flew high into the air, coiling around in fury, its glowing, orange eyes fixed on me. I trembled, paralyzed by some dark magic as it opened its jaws and hissed, its voice echoing eerily through the cavern.

'_Hammerhand! You! Must! Die!_'

"Link!" Sheik's voice cut through the spell as the man threw another ball of magic, catching the dragon on the chest.

It bellowed furiously, flipping around to charge at him, and I got to my feet shakily, pulling out the Megaton Hammer. Before I could attack, it shot a burst of flame from its jaws, and I yelled in horror as the blaze engulfed my brother; Sheik somehow managed to protect himself with magic, but the sheer force of the flames knocked him down. The dragon advanced, its long tongue flicking out hungrily. I froze in horror. "_No_!"

It coiled around, it's eyes glaring down at me. _'Hammerhand!'_

I held the ancient weapon ready, trembling with rage. "Don't you _dare_ touch him! Come and face me!"

_'I will be happy to,'_ it snarled, diving down. It opened its jaws, fire roiling out at me, and I swung my hammer blindly, feeling it connect with something. There was a tremendous roar, and I blinked rapidly as my vision cleared, seeing the dragon laying on the ground, its eyes glazed over, but it was obviously still breathing. I walked over to it and swung the hammer down again, crushing it's skull in a single blow. With a final shudder, Volvagia died, and I ran towards Sheik, who was sitting up shakily.

He frowned at me. "You're on fire."

I glanced down, then yelped, quickly patting out the flames that had been burning the edges of my tunic. "Are you okay?" He nodded slowly, then stood. He collapsed again with a pained gasp, and I looked into his eyes, concerned. "Are you sure you're not wounded?"

"I think my ankle is broken," he muttered.

Hesitantly, not sure whether or not he'd be angry, I touched his ankle, causing the warrior to draw his breath sharply. I gave him an apologetic look. "Yep, it's broken."

"Give me one of your potions," he hissed.

I took out a bottle of blue potion, handing it to him, then I forced myself to gulp down a red potion, sighing in relief as I felt energy rush back to me. "What does this mean? Do you think all of the temple monsters have returned?"

"If Volvagia was any indication, I would assume so." His gaze wandered to a point over my shoulder, and I turned, seeing a faint, ghostly image of Darunia standing there. The Sage of Fire bowed deeply, then vanished. Sheik pulled it his lyre, handing the empty bottle to me. "The veil over this temple is lifted. Only two more left."

"Water and Spirit," I groaned. "I'm not looking forward to this."

* * *

Sheik had somehow protected himself with magic in order to accompany me to the depths of the lake, for which I was thankful. To my extreme joy, Dark Link was not in the Water Temple, but Morpha was. With our combined strengths, we were able to defeat it relatively easily, and in the Spirit Temple, we encountered the first of the three terrors that my brother had mentioned: Gohma.

When I had been a child, the thing had been terrifying, but now it seemed more like an overgrown skulltula. And like a skulltula, it was pretty effortless to kill. As soon as it shuddered and died, a blinding flash enveloped me, and I found myself standing in the Chamber of the Sages.

"You have succeeded in cleansing the temples of darkness," Rauru told me in his weird, rumbling voice.

Saria flashed a cheeky smile. "Well, most of them. The Shadow Temple…well…"

Nabooru laughed, and Impa merely gave them both an intimidating glare before turning her scarlet gaze to me. "There are still two other beasts that are loose in Hyrule."

"The King Dodongo and Barinade?"

"Yes. You will need aid to destroy them. Both have gained strength since the time when you faced them in your childhood. Starflare is adept at battling the creatures of fire. Seek him."

"Is he still in Kakariko?"

"No, he has moved onward, far beyond our gaze."

Ruto smiled. "He went through the Zora's Domain, into the cave that leads to the mountain of ice. You will find him there."

"Can you send me back to wherever Sheik currently is? I really don't want him to think that I'm avoiding him again."

Saria nodded, and in a flash of green light, I found myself standing in my house, face-to-face with Sheik, who leapt back with a startled hiss. I grinned, and he glowered at me. "I hate the sages."

"All of them? Because I was under the impression that Impa was very close to you."

"And I hate her at times, too."

"Why are you in my house?"

"I had a feeling you would come here at some point; I just didn't expect your arrival to be so sudden."

"Well, I can't stay for long, because I need to find Tannin. There are still two other terrors, and we'll need his help to kill them both."

"Do you know where he is?"

"Snowpeak."

Sheik looked oddly resigned. "And here I was hoping for a warmer climate. Why would he be there?"

"I'm not sure. Let's go."

* * *

When we arrived at Snowpeak, the large, empty valley seemed to be just that: empty. However, I glimpsed a small shadow in a cave, and we went towards it. To my surprise, it was a young Gerudo woman, wearing heavy, woolen clothes and warming her hands over a small fire. She looked up at our approach, her golden eyes registering shock, then she stood, wrapping a blanket tightly about her shoulders. "Are you the Hero of Time?" she asked in a soft voice.

"Um…yes. Who are you?"

I saw that her ears were pointed, strangely enough. _I thought all Gerudo had round ears._ She smiled, stepping towards me. "My name is Linna. Tannin said you'd be coming."

"You know Tannin?"

"Yes, he is 'exploring the range of the valley,' as he put it."

I scanned the valley again, but there was no sign of the Dragon Knight, so I turned back to the girl. "What's a Gerudo doing in a freezing place like this?"

She giggled. "I didn't have a choice, really."

I heard footsteps, and, turning, I saw Tannin walking towards us with another young Gerudo following. She looked identical to Linna, from her face right down to her clothes, but she had a dark tattoo on her face. It resembled swirling sand, and it covered her right cheek and curled up around her eye to stretch halfway across her forehead. "My name's Annil," she said cheerily, jogging over to us in order to give Linna a friendly punch on the shoulder.

I cocked my head and gave Tannin a questioning look; he sighed, looking kind of annoyed. "They're twins, half-Gerudo and half-Hylian, and they were forcibly given to me by Arela because they are 'unclean and of tainted blood' because their mother went against the law and married a Hylian."

I frowned. "What about their parents?"

"Both were executed, the mother for breaking the Gerudo law, and the father for 'seducing' one of their own. The children weren't killed for the simple reason that Arela doesn't hold them accountable for their parents 'crimes.'"

"And here I was starting to think that the Gerudo could be pleasant," I muttered, having a sudden urge to visit the desert and discipline Arela for having two people executed like that.

Sheik was eyeing the sisters like he thought they were going to transform into the Twinrova, his whole stance tensed. Annil seemed to pick up on that, and she stared at him. "Is that a Sheikah?"

I nodded, and Linna's expression became on edge. "The Sheikah are enemies of the Gerudo."

I groaned inwardly, but, before I could do any damage control, Sheik took a step forward. "You are only partially Gerudo, therefore, I am only partially your enemy. As long as we don't kill each other, I couldn't care less what your opinion is of me."

Tannin looked amused. "Sheik is a trusted ally, girls. You don't have anything to fear from him."

Linna glowered. "I'm not afraid. Just wary."

Annil looked at me. "When do we start training?"

I jolted. "_What_? Training?"

"Mister Starflare said that you were training people to be knights. We want to defend Hyrule, too, and we both can fight."

"_Tannin_!"

He smirked. "Hey, you're the one who hasn't found a single recruit. It's been five years since you had the crazy idea to build a fortress here, and these two are the only people so far who are willing to become knights. Do you have a problem with them, Mr. Hero?"

The twins both fixed me with challenging glares, unsheathing their huge scimitars in unison. I sighed, giving in. "Fine. But they'd better listen, and if either of them makes a single hostile move towards Sheik, I'll send them back to Arela myself."

* * *

A/N1: I honestly don't know why I had ended Chapter 3 in such a creepy manner, and I'm sorry if I made you guys think that Link was dying. :-/ I know there wasn't much detail for the battles with the temple monsters, but that's because you guys already know how the battles happen, so...I'll just stop talking now before I get onto a bunny trail.

A/N2: The Gossip Stones tell of the Gerudo going to find Hylian boyfriends in the game, but, because this is fanfiction, I changed that so that the Gerudo would seem a little more foreign and hostile.


	5. Snow and Rocks

A/N: I know it's been taking _forever_ for me to update my works-in-progress, but there are good reasons for that. Check my profile for details. Anyway, here it is, Chapter 5, the one you've been waiting for! XD

* * *

**Chapter 5: Snow and Rocks**

"So the gigantic dodongo that had beaten you to a pulp twelve years ago is back from the dead, and you want my help to kill it."

"Pretty much," I replied.

Tannin frowned, glancing down at his dark blue, dodongo-scale armor. "Considering the state you were in the last time you fought it, I don't blame you for wanting help, but you're a lot stronger now than you were when you were a kid."

"Yes, but the sages warned me that I'd need you to kill this thing. I'm not entirely sure why, but still, it's probably not a good idea to ignore their advice. I'm quite sure that you'll be needed."

"I can't leave the twins alone, though, and I certainly will _not_ trust Sheik to watch them. And they are not coming with us."

"Even if we _did_ trust Sheik to keep an eye on them without killing or causing permanent damage, I know for a fact that he'll probably be stalking us right into where the dodongo is."

"You have a valid point."

That made me suspicious. "You sound like you're not surprised by Sheik's stalking tendencies."

Tannin grinned. "I confess, I already knew that Sheik wasn't Zelda, and I'd already known about his job as your Shadow."

I stared at him in disbelief. "You knew?!"

"Of course. It was actually quite obvious."

"And you never told me?"

"Sheik specifically told me to _not_ tell you."

"And you just listened to him."

"Yep. Never cross a guy who can make himself invisible."

I glanced across the valley, where the twins were sparring with each other. "Couldn't we just leave them here? That could be part of the training, to see just how resourceful they are."

"Yeah, but I found a set of humongous footprints an hour ago, so if there's some kind of gigantic snow-beast on this mountain, I'd like to make sure it's not a threat before we just leave them alone."

That actually concerned me a bit. "How big were the tracks?"

"Huge. Bigger than dodongo footprints, at least."

"I'll check it out when we get back."

He nodded. "I think I'll just leave the twins with Anjo while we're hunting the beast. Do you have any idea where it is?"

"In the caverns underneath Death Mountain," a voice said. We looked at Sheik, who was leaning against an ice-covered boulder.

"Aren't you cold?" I asked.

He shook his head, eyes glittering with amusement. "No. You should go before that thing cuts off the Gorons' food supply again."

"Okay. We can drop off the twins on our way there."

* * *

Needless to say, we killed it. Well, Tannin killed it; I ended up crushed under the thing's tail. Afterward, the darned knight insisted on salvaging parts of the thing's body. And by 'salvaging,' I mean he ripped out all of its scales and put them in a large bag.

"That's really gross, Tannin."

He shrugged, using the Dragon Sword to take the corpse's claws and fangs. "I'd been wanting to hunt down another dodongo for a while. Why waste the opportunity? Come help me with this."

The gigantic body was mutilated now, and I reluctantly aided him in pushing the thing into the fire-pit. The stench of burning flesh almost made me throw up. "Can we get out of here now?" I begged.

He glanced up at the hole in the ceiling. "How? I can't fly, Link."

"Darunia, get us out of here!" I yelled.

Silence. Tannin stared at me for a long time, then he laughed. "Didn't you have a teleportation crystal?"

I reached into my belt pouch, frowning when my hand came back empty. Behind me, I heard a low chuckle, and I whirled around indignantly. "Sheik!"

"You need to be more observant."

"Give it back."

He didn't reply, instead activating it, thus blinding me with that green flash. We were back in Kakariko. Sheik tossed the crystal back at me, then vanished. Tannin looked amused. "He does that quite often, doesn't he?"

"Obviously. Where have you been?"

"I was talking about him stealing your equipment, not his random disappearing acts."

"Actually, that was only the second time that that's happened."

"Well, I should find the twins. Do you mind waiting here while I go talk to Anjo?"

I gave him a suspicious look. "Why did you leave them with _Anjo_, of all people? Those two gave me the impression that they're troublemakers."

"They wouldn't give her trouble." He turned and walked away, and I sat down and leaned against one of the houses, watching a random cuccoo as it strutted through the village. _If Sheik is right, there's only one monster left. Barinade. Where would it be, though? It wasn't in the water temple, and the Zoras seem fine. Can it even survive without water?_ I had no more time to consider the problem of finding Barinade, though, because I heard a strange noise; it sounded rather like someone hitting a sack of flour.

I stood and walked slowly in the direction that the sound had come from, then I heard it again, twice more. I quickened my pace, soon entering the narrow tunnel that led into the graveyard. That's when I saw a young man, probably eighteen or so, kicking something.

"Hey!"

The man stopped, glancing at me with a scowl. "Go away, vagrant; this isn't your problem."

I saw then that the crumpled form on the ground was a young boy, no older than twelve, and my anger rose; I advanced on the man furiously. "It's my problem now! Get away from him!"

He smirked. "You have no authority over me."

My fist shot out before I could stop myself, causing the man to stagger backwards. He glared at me venomously, drawing a long, serrated knife from his belt. In response to the obvious challenge, I drew my sword and pressed the tip of the much-longer blade to his neck. "I will tell you one more time. Back away."

"I could get you in a lot of trouble for this!"

"I could have you put into the darkest, most obscure prison cell in Hyrule Castle," I replied calmly. "You call me a vagrant without stopping first to figure out who it is that you are insulting."

He lifted a hand and wiped his bleeding nose, ignoring my sword. "Quit threatening me, _drifter_."

"The proper title to address me by is 'sir.' If that is too difficult for you, then 'Hero of Time,' will also do."

His eyes widened, but he held his ground. "You're lying."

"If you want me to bring Zelda in on this, I can. I assure you, I _am_ the hero, and I _will_ put you in prison if you do not back away."

Thankfully, he backed down, although I hadn't been joking about putting him in prison. Muttering, he withdrew, stalking away through the tunnel. I sheathed my sword and turned to the boy, who shied away. His dark eyes were fixed on me warily, but he didn't seem afraid. I knelt down and smiled at him.

"Thank you, sir," he whispered.

"Are you okay?"

He shrugged, but I saw his jaw clench. "Just bruises. I should be fine. You came before he could do the really bad stuff."

I held out a hand to him, and, after a moment's pause, he took it. I pulled him to his feet gently, then let go. "What do you mean by 'really bad stuff?'"

The boy hesitated, then he reached up and yanked off his shirt, revealing multiple scars that covered his torso. "He uses that knife."

I felt anger rising in me again, but I pushed it down. "Who is he? Why does he do that to you?"

"My parents…died…and I ended up living with him. I don't know why he hates me, but he does."

"How old are you? What's your name?"

He pulled his shirt back on, straightening up slightly. "I'm ten, sir, and my name is Rassey Laurel."

"Well, my name's Link. Do you have any family?"

He shook his head wordlessly, then tensed, his eyes darting to fix on the entrance to the tunnel. I turned, seeing a man walking towards us, but I relaxed when I saw that it was Tannin. He looked ticked off, and there was blood on his right gauntlet. "To think Kakariko could have people like that."

"Could you elaborate?"

"The random man with a knife who was cursing you into the darkest realm," he replied with an amused smirk. "He probably won't be able to talk for the next few weeks."

I stared at him. "Tannin, what did you do?"

"Gave him a fitting punishment for his crimes. I can't stand people who beat up on others who can't defend themselves."

I glanced at Rassey, who looked like he was fighting to control hysterical laughter. "Are you okay, kid?"

He nodded vigorously, grinning. "Thank you, sir."

"My name's Tannin. And you are…?"

"Rassey."

I smiled. "Well, I'm glad we could he, but we have to go. Are you going to be okay?"

He looked worried. "No, you can't leave! He'll come back!"

"I know a really nice lady you could stay with."

"Kakariko is a small village; he'll still find me!"

Tannin gave me an odd look. "He has a point."

I folded my arms across my chest. "What are _we_ supposed to do with him, though? Take him with us?"

"Yes!" Rassey shouted, tackling me around the legs; I crashed to the ground, and within seconds, the boy was pinning me down.

Tannin was laughing, and he grabbed Rassey and lifted him off of me. "You know what you want, don't you?"

I stood up slowly. "Would that be okay, though? I mean, Snowpeak isn't exactly the most friendly environment."

"Snow?"

"Yes, Rassey, snow. Lots of it."

The little boy looked interested, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "Are there rocks, too?"

"Yes…just what are you getting at?"

"I'd love it there!"

Tannin finally got his laughter under control, but he was still grinning. "So that's all it takes to make you happy? Snow and rocks?"

"Please can I come?"

The knight glanced at me, then bent down to be at face-level with him, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "I'd love for you to come, Rassey, but there's one thing…are you scared of girls?"

He giggled. "No."

"Good. You can come."

I rolled my eyes. "Speaking of 'girls,' where are the twins?"

"With Tempest. He's keeping an eye on them."

"Sure, your horse is in charge of two Gerudos."

Rassey looked interested. "You have a horse?"

"Yes, and you'll get to ride him."

"Awesome!"

"We should go before the angry man with the knife comes back," I pointed out. "Personally, I'd love to put him in prison, but the last thing I want is to make a scene in the middle of the village."

Rassey clambered up onto my back, much to my surprise, and I frowned up at him before shrugging and heading for the tunnel. When we met up with the twins, they immediately wanted to know who he was, but overall, they took his presence willingly. Now we just needed to get back to Snowpeak. It was decided that Rassey would ride with me on Epona, while the twins would stay on Tempest with Tannin. I just prayed that we wouldn't encounter any monsters on the way there.

* * *

Annil and Linna had decided that they would be in charge of digging the basement level of the fortress. I kept telling them that two people wouldn't be able to get that much done, but they insisted, so Tannin went with them, and, taking three shovels, they got to work marking out the outer boundary of what was going to be the fortress.

Rassey, meanwhile, had reluctantly sat still as I examined him for broken bones, and, although I myself knew how nasty it tasted, I made him drink a blue potion. As soon as I was satisfied that he was healed, I let him go, and the ten-year-old instantly scampered off and began gathering rocks, each about as big as my head.

"What are you planning on using those for?" I asked, amused as he staggered over with a rock that was half as big as he was.

He dropped it with the others, sitting down on it to catch his breath. "You'll see. Can I be a knight?"

"Let me guess…Tannin informed you on the purpose of this fortress that we're building."

"Yeah. Please? I promise, I'll listen to everything you say."

_Well, I saved the world when I was ten, so I guess he could learn some sword skills. _I smiled. "Sure. We'll need to get you a sword, though."

Rassey grinned. "Actually, if you're planning on training a lot of knights, you'll need a lot of swords. So, you should probably plan on putting an armory and a forge in the fortress."

I stared at him in surprise. "Are you _sure_ you're ten?"

"Yup!"

"_I'm_ not so sure. You might be an imposter."

He didn't answer, his eyes focused on something behind me, and I turned, seeing Sheik standing there. "Who is that?" Rassey asked. "He's not an enemy, right?"

Sheik has his veil up, so it was impossible to tell his expression, but the corners of his eyes were crinkled slightly, so I guessed that he was smiling. "Were I an enemy, you would all be dead."

"How comforting," I told him. "Where have you been?"

"Five seconds ago, I was standing a few feet behind you," he replied as he walked nearer to stand beside me.

"And where were you before that?"

"Crouched on top of a nearby boulder."

"In other words, even though I couldn't see you, you were following me the whole time."

"Mostly." He looked down at Rassey, who seemed unafraid. "My name is Sheik, and I am an ally of Link."

"Oh. Why do you have red eyes?"

"I am not really sure."

I chuckled. "Why show yourself now?"

"I need to speak to you. Alone."

Rassey frowned, then turned to his rock pile and began rearranging them. I sighed, but followed Sheik across the snow-covered valley until we reached a small alcove. "What is it? Have you found out where Barinade is?"

"Unfortunately, no, but I wish for you to meet someone. He could be a powerful comrade for you in the future."  
"Who is this 'someone,' exactly?"

Sheik hesitated, then he nodded slightly, pulling down his veil. "You might as well know. If you meet him, you'd find out sooner or later. This man is a close friend of mine. He saved my life once."

"He saved your life? How? I can't imagine you ever being in a life-threatening situation."

"As honored as I am that you seem to think that I am invincible, when it comes to strength versus speed, I can only fight with speed. As you have found out, strength is not exactly my biggest attribute. I got into a battle with the Gerudo, and they won. I was badly wounded, and force to dive into the canyon to escape them. The next thing I knew, I was in Lake Hylia and my wounds were healed."

"How did this guy heal your wounds?"

"He has an innate ability to wield magic."

"So, why do you want me to meet him?"

He shrugged, but smiled. "He has expressed a profound interest in becoming one of your knights."

"How does he know that I'm training knights?"

"We have had many conversations on the subject."

"How long have you known this guy?"

"Approximately two years."

"And you're already chatting with him like you're best friends?"

"More so than that, but yes. Will you meet him, or not? He doesn't usually associate with other people, but he is willing to speak to you, as long as you remain polite and respectful."

"Well, if you're best friends with him, he must be a pretty amazing person, so yeah, I'll meet him. Where does he live?"

"Lake Hylia."

I froze. "_Please_ tell me you're not talking about Althalos!"

He laughed quietly. "No, he is no one you have met before, I am quite sure."

"You _would_ be sure. When does he want me to meet him?"

"Whenever is a good time for you. He's not going anywhere."

"I'll go as soon as I've made sure that Tannin can handle a pair of teenage Gerudos and a ten-year-old."

"Make it soon, though." He pulled up his veil and disappeared.

"I _will_ learn how you do that one day!" I shouted, knowing he could still hear me from wherever it was that he was watching.

I heard a laugh, but my surroundings made it impossible for me to discern from which direction it had come, so I turned and walked back to where Rassey was still organizing his rock pile. He glanced up at me. "Are you okay? Why'd you yell?"

"I'm fine; Sheik just annoyed me."

"It seems like you trust him a lot," the boy observed.

"I _do_ trust him. He just aggravates me sometimes. Are you going to tell me what you're building yet?"

So far, it looked rather like a stove of some kind. He looked at it, then smiled. "It's going to be a forge."

"Please tell me you actually know how to build a forge."

"I do, but I lack blacksmith skills, so that would be a problem."

"I'll make sure we get a knight that comes from a blacksmith's stable," I told him, chuckling.

"Good! Then he can give me tips on making this thing."

"Why the sudden urge to build a forge, though? Even if you got it working right, we'd still need the metal and tools."

"I think this mountain might have steel of some kind under the surface. And as for tools…I'll figure something out."

"I'm sure you will. Listen, Rassey, I'm going to need to go away for a day or two, but I'll be back. I just need to talk to Tannin first."

"Good luck with whatever you need to do."

I nodded, then walked toward where the twins where digging a deep hole. "What are you two doing?"

Linna grinned, then scooped up a shovelful of snow and threw it down into the hole. Far below, I heard a yelp, then a hard-packed snowball shot from the hole and pegged the girl on the head. "What have I told you about throwing snow on me?!" Tannin shouted.

I laughed, kneeling to look at him. "Tannin, what are you doing down there?"

"This is going to be a temporary storage so that we don't have to worry about local creatures stealing anything."

"I'm not even sure that there _are_ local creatures."

"I'm not too keen on finding out what those giant footprints belonged to," he shot back, continuing to dig.

Annil crept to the edge of the hole and tossed some snow down on him; he growled, forming another snowball. He raised it threateningly, and she ducked behind Linna, giggling. He shook his head, sighing, and dropped the snowball, continuing to dig. I frowned, reaching to lightly touch the edge of the hole; it was solid ice. "How did you do this?"

"Fire. I melted the walls somewhat as I dug so that they would harden. That way, I don't end up buried alive."

"With the twins around, you just might end up buried alive, anyway," I replied, amused.

Linna began giggling, and the two ran off to throw snowballs at Rassey, who promptly used his rock pile as a barrier. Tannin glared up at me. "You're planning something, aren't you?"

"Sheik wants to drag me off to Lake Hylia to meet a buddy of his," I answered. "Do you think you could handle Rassey and the twins while I'm gone?"

"If they don't behave, I'll just freeze them in ice," he growled.

"Okay, thanks." I waved to him, then threw a snowball; it hit the back of his neck and slid down his shirt.

"_Link_! Get back here!"

I ran off before he could catch me, laughing.

* * *

Sheik reappeared when I reached the border of Lake Hylia. "He will not show himself unless I am with you," he explained.

"This friend of yours is the shy type, huh?"

"Not shy, merely secretive."

"Sounds like another guy I know."

He chuckled, leading me towards the rickety, ancient bridge that led to the island in the center of the lake. "Just remember to stay respectful and polite."

"Why would he be in the middle of the lake on an island?"

"He lives on the island."

"Really? How come I've never seen him before?"

"He has stealth abilities that are at an equal level to my own."

"Is he also Sheikah-trained?"

"You could say that. _I_ trained him."

"I'm jealous. The most you ever taught _me_ was hand-to-hand combat moves and how to make a ball of fire, yet you teach some other guy all the stealth skills you know?"

Sheik laughed quietly as we stepped from the rickety bridge onto the island. The place was totally empty, with a single tree and the platform that was somehow magically connected to the Serenade of Water. He halted, looking around, then spoke softly. "All is well."

There was a moment of silence, then a figure vaulted down from the top of the tree, landing in a crouch. The person straightened up, and I saw with shock that it was someone that was probably in his early teens, with long, shaggy, black hair and green eyes. He wore strange, light blue clothes that seemed to cling to his form, which was thin, yet with lean muscles. The clothes themselves seemed to be formed from a strange type of cloth that almost resembled fish scales, and he had a light blue bandanna wrapped around his forehead, tied in such a way that the cloth went down the back of his head and stopped just below his shoulders.

He also wore a belt that had a series of long, thin knives inserted into specially made loops, and he had a pair of gloves with bone spurs of some kind that were attached to his knuckles. All in all, he was a very scary-looking teenager. Sheik bowed slightly to him, and the young man bowed back, his piercing, green eyes never leaving mine. "I was wondering when you would return, Lorian," he said in a low voice with an odd, foreign accent.

I frowned, looking at Sheik. "He knows your real name?"

He nodded, pulling down his veil and gesturing to me, his attention still focused on the scary teen. "This is Link."

The young man stared at me for a long time, then tilted his head in a slight bow. I returned it, feeling kind of startled, and he gave me a strange smile. "I was hoping I would have the opportunity to meet you soon, Hero of Time. I am Amur Kao."

* * *

A/N: You guys had better review this! I've been working on this chapter for a really long time, and I'll get upset if you guys don't let me know what you think!


	6. Hylian-Zora-Sheikah

A/N: Wow, I've actually managed to update sooner than I thought I would. :)

* * *

**Chapter 6: Hylian-Zora-Sheikah**

"Are you from Hyrule?"

The young man seemed amused by the random question, and he glanced at Sheik before going to sit with his back against the tree. "I was born in Castle Town, later on moved to Kakariko, and I have lived on this island for the past six years. So yes, I am from Hyrule, and am a full-blooded Hylian."

"Then why the accent?"

"That comes from long hours spent talking to the Zoras. I picked it up from them."

Sheik smiled, also sitting down, and I followed their example, still feeling kind of confused by this kid. "Sheik tells me you want to become one of my knights. Why?"

"For a myriad of reasons, the most prominent of which being that I wish to destroy all injustice in the world."

Sheik grinned, which was unusual for him. "As long as you two are not planning on any hostility…"

The young man smiled. "I promise, Lorian, I will be nice."

To my shock, he lay down, closing his eyes. "Good. The same goes for you, Link."

"Okay…"

I glanced at Amur, who seemed unsurprised, and he shrugged. "We do this all the time. He will come, and we will talk for an hour or so, then he will go to sleep until dawn, whereupon he will awaken and resume his guardianship over you."

I glared at Sheik. "So _that's_ what you do. I've been wondering how you manage to get any sleep when you're tracking me all over Hyrule. How often do you come here?"

"Usually once or twice a week, depending on your current location. Now leave me alone so I can rest."

Amur chuckled. "To be honest, I was quite hesitant about meeting you, Hero, but I can see you are as honorable as Lorian."

"Just call me Link."

"How come you do not call Lorian by his name? You, being his brother, have more right to do so than any other in Hyrule."

I froze. "You know that we're brothers?"

He laughed. "Even if Lorian had not told me, it is rather obvious by the mere fact that you two are identical in appearance."

"How do you explain our differing eye color, eh?"

"It is a glamor that he cast on himself to give the appearance that he is a full-blooded Sheikah," the young man replied simply.

"Sheik, just how much did you tell this kid?"

"Everything."

"And yet you still won't tell _me_ how you can turn invisible."

He shook with silent laughter, and Amur frowned. "You have yet to answer my question. Why do you call him Sheik?"

"Because that's the name he introduced himself to me by, and I just got used to calling him that. I didn't find out what his real name was until last week."

"Will you train me?" he asked bluntly.

"Why not have Sheik continue to train you?"

"There is only so much that I can do with small knives. I need a sword, and you are the only way I can get one."

I studied him carefully; he seemed able-bodied and willing, but I was still unsure. "How can I know that you'll actually obey?"

"Lorian can vouch for me."

I glanced at the Sheikah, who now seemed like he was sound asleep, but then again, he could have been faking. "He can?"

He looked at Sheik, then nodded. "I know you are not asleep yet. Can you please give him assurance?"

"I trust Amur with my life, and you should do the same, Link," he murmured, his eyes remaining closed.

"That's good enough for me. I guess you can come to Snowpeak, then. However, you'll be expected to get along with others."

Amur looked wary, but, slowly, he nodded. "So long as they respect me, I will do my best to get along with them."

"You seem pretty big on respect. That's a good thing, of course, but it's a little confusing."

He frowned. "You have a limp because of an old wound that healed incorrectly, do you not?"

I stiffened. "How do you know that?"

"Lorian."

I glowered at the sleeping warrior, then sighed, nodding. "Yes, I do have a limp. Why?"

"Because of this, you would be considered a cripple, yes?"

I folded my arms across my chest. "I try to not let my limp get in the way of my performance, but yes, I have been called a cripple before. That's not the only name I've been called, either."

Amur nodded. "In other words, you were teased because of a mild physical defect."

"I suppose. What are you getting at?"

He was silent for a moment, then he abruptly yanked off his left glove, revealing that his hand was thin and bony, bent at an odd angle so that it looked crooked. "My hand was crushed by a horse when I was five years old," he explained softly. "After that incident, my father started to despise me, calling me an invalid who wasn't of any use to him. He began beating me regularly, one time even breaking my arm. It did not help that I was weak, and I could not defend myself."

"_What_?"

He pulled the glove back on, once again making his hand look normal. "I was one year old when Ganon took over Hyrule. My mother was killed in that attack, but my father and I escaped to Kakariko. At first, things were fine, but that all changed after I was crippled. When I was seven, I ran away and came here to Hylia. I have been living here ever since."

"You live on this island."

"Yes."

"How do you survive?"

"There are plenty of fish in the lake, and the small amount I take does not impact the Zoras, so they are fine with it. I taught myself by observing them."

"So you're Hylian, but you live like a Zora, and you were trained by a Sheikah."

"Indeed."

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but…what are your clothes made from? It's like a mix of fish scales and leather."

He laughed. "I made my clothes from the skin of blue tektites."

"You'll get along well with Tannin, then."

"I _was_ quite curious about how he managed to fashion armor from dodongo scales," he said, smirking.

"I had a feeling that _Lorian_ had told you about Tannin."

"Obviously. He has informed me about the half-Gerudo twins as well. Were you really skewered by a moblin?"

"I'm gonna kill him."

"Actually, he expressed his concern for you, and questioned whether or not there were better ways to keep you out of danger besides following you everywhere."

I looked at Sheik, who was completely motionless. "Really?"

"He _is_ your guardian. Of course."

"Did you really save his life?"

"I saw him in the water, and I dove in and pulled him to shore. Healing his wounds was only a little more difficult."

"You must be a really good swimmer."

He chuckled at that, but didn't reply, instead pulling out one of his long knives and going to the water's edge, where he sat, cross-legged, with his eyes fixed on the clear surface. "Stay where you are so that you do not scare them," he muttered.

I frowned, confused, then the knife abruptly vanished from his hand while I simultaneously heard a weird noise. Amur dove headfirst into the lake, and I gasped, rushing to the edge, where I saw him streaking downward with the speed and agility of a Zora, catching something in his hand before turning in the water to swim back to the surface. When his head broke the water, I saw that sections of his pants and shirtsleeves were now rigid and in the shape of fins, and they stayed that way when he pulled himself onto land.

In his hand, he held a large fish that was wriggling violently, his knife buried up to the hilt in its midsection. I stared as he yanked the knife out and killed the fish with a single blow, sitting back down and beginning to clean the scales off of it with the blade.

"How did you do that?"

"Lorian taught me all I know about knives."

"I was talking about the swimming. How come your clothes went rigid and turned into fins like that?"

He laughed. "My clothes do that upon impact with water. They will resume their normal shape after they have dried."

"That's really clever. How did you manage that?"

"Tektite skin is…unusual. It is hard to explain."

"Okay." I watched as he beheaded the fish, then he muttered something, and flames appeared in the palm of his hand, allowing him to somehow roast the fish without need of a fire pit. When he was done, the flames disappeared, and he used his knife to strip the meat from it, waving a piece under Sheik's nose.

The warrior let out a soft groan, his eyes opening, and he growled something, sitting up slowly. "How long have I been asleep?"

"An hour," Amur replied, handing him some of the fish.

I looked up at the sky; sure enough, the sun was descending. "How did the time pass that quickly?"

"You should already know that, Hero of _Time_," Sheik replied with a snicker before he began eating.

I looked at Amur. "Are you usually his main source of food?"

"Only on the days when he is here."

"Will you be okay with being separated from water?"

Amur gave me a withering look. "However much I may act like a Zora, I am not one, and therefore can survive in other environments. When do you wish for me to come to the mountain?"

"Whenever is okay for you."

He glanced at Sheik, then nodded. "I can go with you when you make the trip back, then. Will you be there, Lorian?"

"Most likely, now that I won't have to keep coming to Hylia."

"Do you have anything you'd like to bring with you? It'd probably be a good idea for you to start packing now."

Amur grinned, then went to the tree, revealing that there was a small door hidden in the tree bark, from which he pulled large bag, and a bow and quiver of arrows, in addition to a big, wicked-looking dagger that appeared to be carved from some kind of bone. He slung the bag over one shoulder and tucked the dagger into a specially made sheath, then attached it to his belt before shouldering the bow and strapping the quiver to his back.

"These are my only necessities." He sat down again, handing me a few pieces of fish before beginning to eat it himself.

I took a bite out of one piece cautiously, and, to my surprise, it was really good. "How good is your aim with those arrows?"

"I can hit a guay* from a distance of forty meters."

I stared at him, stunned, and I heard Sheik laughing quietly. "I was not exaggerating about his innate ability to wield magic. His speed and accuracy is considerably heightened."

"I'm officially impressed. How well do those clothes of yours hold up against extreme cold?"

"I was living here back when Zora's Domain was frozen over, and I did fine whenever I swam in the freezing water."

"How old are you, exactly?"

"Thirteen," came the immediate answer.

* * *

When it came time to travel back to Snowpeak, Amur merely dove into the lake and swam down until he disappeared through the tunnel that led into Zora's Domain. I glanced at Sheik, but he seemed unsurprised, instead following in the same fashion. I sighed, then dove in after them, taking a deep breath before diving, barely managing to reach the dark hole before I felt an overwhelming urge to swim back to the surface. I quickly returned to the world of oxygen, almost hitting a Zora as I came up.*

The Zora gave me an irritated look before flicking her fins and streaking away; nearby, I heard a human laugh, and I turned, seeing Amur and Sheik standing on a ledge far above. I glared at them, climbing up the steel ladder to where they were. "You could show more sympathy. I'm not built for water."

"Maybe I could give you swimming lessons sometime," Amur suggested with a chuckle.

"Not likely to need lessons on an ice mountain," I replied, shaking vigorously to rid myself of the water droplets that still clung to me, accidentally splattering Amur. "Sorry."

"No need. I lived in the middle of a lake for years; a bit of water does not affect me."

Sheik motioned to the tunnel that led to Snowpeak, which was little more than an ice-encrusted crack in the wall. "We should go before it gets too late. It would be…_bad_ if we startled Tannin."

Amur looked interested. "Why?"

"Because you would end up burned. Remember what I told you of the Dragon Sword?"

I frowned at Sheik. "You didn't tell him all of Hyrule's secrets, right? I can't teach him if he already knows everything."

"I can assure you that I never educated him on swordplay."

We went through the narrow tunnel in single file, then I took the lead as we entered the trail that led to the valley. As soon as he saw it, Amur's eyes lit up and he smiled. "I can do a lot here."

I gave him a suspicious look. "What do you mean 'a lot?'"

"Colder temperatures are more suitable for forging."

"Care to define what 'forging' is supposed to mean?"

"Metalworking."

I froze. "Wait a second…you know how to use a forge?"

"I have made things before. How else would I have acquired the arrowheads that I use?"

"I thought you may have gotten them from Sheik."

The warrior glared at me. "Have you _ever_ seen me use arrows?"

"Come to think of it, no."

"Exactly. Learn to use your brain, Hero."

I couldn't answer him because I abruptly gained a mouthful of snow as something tackled me around the legs, causing me to topple over into a snowdrift. "Link!" I heard a youthful voice shout.

I rolled over, spitting out the snow and grabbing Rassey, who was now as covered in the white flecks as I was. "Do you have to tackle me every single time we meet?" I demanded.

He grinned. "You were gone for a long time."

"It's only been two hours."

"That's _forever_!"

Sheik lifted him off of me. "You need to learn patience, young one," he told the boy with a chuckle.

Rassey appeared shocked. "You look like Link!"

The warrior seemed at a loss for a moment, then he smiled, setting him down. "I am Link's evil twin."

"You're not evil!" he objected.

"And how would you know?"

"If you were evil, Link would have killed you by now."

"Ah, but I am far more powerful than Link."

"In that case, _you_ would have killed _him_ by now."

"Hey!" I protested.

They both laughed. "It is true," Sheik replied.

I growled, suddenly noticing that Amur was missing. "Hey, Lorian, where's your Hylian-Zora-Sheikah friend?"

Rassey looked around, then pointed. "He's over there, by my forge! What's he doing?"

We ran over, and I saw the Amur was busy rearranging certain stones. He glanced at us, seemed to note Rassey's worried expression, then shrugged. "There were a few errors in the construction. Relatively minor, but they would have lessened the fire's effectiveness."

Rassey looked awed. "Really? Can you help me finish it, then?"

"Possibly."

Sheik veiled his face again, taking a step back and disappearing; I sighed, looking at Amur. "Any idea where he went?"

"He is most likely still observing you. Do not fear; he is almost always there, watching from afar."

"Somehow, you managed to make that sound very creepy."

He laughed, kneeling to inspect the makeshift forge. "How many others live in this valley?"

"Just me, Rassey, Tannin, and the twins. Unless you include Sheik, of course, but he's invisible, so I don't think he counts."

A random snowball came out of nowhere and hit the back of my head; I whirled around, but didn't see anything. I _did_ hear a laugh that sounded suspiciously like my brother, though.

* * *

I'd been feeling kind of anxious about what might happen when Amur met Tannin. I was happy when they got along splendidly. However, I hadn't planned on the standoff that occurred when Amur met the twins. Linna and Annil both unsheathed their swords, apparently recalling some kind of 'incident' that had happened a year or so ago. After separating them, I learned that Amur had apparently caused a lot of trouble for the Gerudo patrols that often went down to Hylia, and, even though they had been exiled from the Gerudo tribe, they still felt loyalty to the people who had raised them.

After a lot of arguing, Tannin and I were finally able to persuade the twins to forgive Amur of any harm he may have caused. The young man himself didn't show any reaction; it was obvious that he has anticipated their reaction. Afterward, I took him aside and asked him just what kind of 'trouble' he had caused for the Gerudo.

"I mainly scared them into thinking that the Water Temple monster was still alive. I never actually hurt anyone, although I did trip a few of them into the water."

"I don't see why they'd be so angry about it, then."

"I also scared one of their horses and they had to chase it across Hyrule before they could get it under control."

I chuckled. "That would explain it. Horses are worth more than gold to the Gerudo."

"Are you angry?"

"No. Honestly, I've done far worse to the Gerudo."

"Like what?"

"Like knocking a lot of them unconscious and killing two of them and their king."

"Oh. When do we begin training?"

"Tomorrow, maybe."

"That would give me plenty of time to aid the boy in building his forge. What is his name?"

"Ask him. It'll help your people skills considerably."

He glowered at me, then stood and strode purposefully toward Rassey. I watched as they spoke, then Amur knelt and began to work on what currently looked like an oven of some sort.

"Amur seems like he'll be quite a handful," Tannin said, sitting next to me.

I glared at him. "Don't you dare."

He looked confused. "Dare what?"

"Don't start acting like Sheik! It's bad enough to have _one_ man appearing and disappearing randomly! Don't you dare start doing it!"

He grinned. "Don't worry, my stealth skills are nowhere near good enough to do that."

"Why do you say that about Amur?"

"He was trained by a Sheikah, learned from the Zora's, and he's a kid who's lived by himself for years. Therefore, it'll probably take him a long time to get used to being around other people."

"He seems to get along fine with Rassey."

Tannin laughed. "_Everyone_ gets along fine with Rassey. It's the twins I'm worried about. Whether you realize it or not, you've placed yourself in the position of being the caretaker of four kids."

"I was afraid you'd say that."

"You're the one who had the idea to train a legion of knights."

"You'll be helping me train them, though, right? You _did_ promise that you would."

"Of course."

"What did you use the dodongo scales for, anyway?"

"I can show you, if you wish. It's something for Tempest."

"You're giving your horse a present?"

He stood, gesturing across the valley, where he and the twins had set up a small tent. "I'll show you."

I followed him into the tent curiously, halting when I saw the hug array of dodongo scales that were laid on the floor in a mesmerizing pattern of shimmering, dark blue. Most of the scales had already been used to make what I was able to recognize as horse armor. Well, at least the head and neck sections of it. Tempest stood nearby, eating from an open bag of hay. He flicked his ears and snorted at our entrance, but didn't halt his progress.

"How long did it take you to make that armor?"

He grinned. "All of today. I should have the entire set done by the end of the week. The Dragon Knight might as well have a truly magnificent steed, eh?"

"You have a point there."

The tall, dark bay horse jerked his head up and whinnied, putting his ears back, and the knight laughed. "My mistake, Tempest; you were magnificent _before _the armor."

"You're probably the only guy I've ever met who talks to his horse like it can understand every word he says."

"Ah, but Tempest _can_ understand me," Tannin replied with a wink before making a series of rapid clicking sounds.

The stallion immediately abandoned the bag of hay and trotted over, swishing his tail and snorting as he halted in front of the man, thrusting his head forward like he was about to ram Tannin. The knight stroked his mane and made two, deeper-toned clicks, and Tempest turned and went back to the hay.

I glared at him. "Since when did he ever respond to signals?"

"If Malon could teach him to come whenever he hears a specific song, I can teach him to respond to other sounds as well. I've taught him hand signals as well."

"Could you teach Epona for me?"

He laughed. "Not a chance; your horse tried to eat my hair the last time I went near her."

"Coward."

"She hates me."

"She's a _horse_. They don't choose their masters."

"Actually, Malon would tell you otherwise."

"I've given up trying to argue with you, old man."

* * *

* For those of you who don't know, guays are those infurating, black birds that divebomb you in Lake Hylia and Lon Lon Ranch. :P

* I thought it would be fitting to make a reference to Link's inability to stay underwater for long periods of time. XD Plus, have you ever noticed how he's always in such a hurry to return to the surface?


	7. Dull Moments

A/N: I know I've been absent for a while, and I know it's taken forever to publish a new chapter in this. However, I've recently been traveling, one of my siblings is getting married, and I have a ton of volunteer work that I'm committed to. In other words, I have a life beyond the computer. If I sound a little defensive, I'm sorry. I'm just a bit peeved because there's some idiot who keeps spamming _Winter's Dark_ with requests and demands for me to make new chapters, and I'm getting ticked off at him. He's posted another demand since I posted a warning to him, and it's getting on my nerves. Because he keeps "reviewing" as a guest, I can't contact him to ask him to stop. Thankfully, he hasn't been spamming any of my other stories. Mini-rant done, you can read Chapter 7 of _Allegiance_ now. XD There's a small time-lapse of about a month between this and Chapter 6.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Dull Moments  
****Sheik/Lorian…**

The day after Amur came to the mountains, they had all begun working on the foundation of what would eventually become a fortress. Snowpeak Mountain held vast reserves of stone, which they were able to cut into bricks. By the end of the month, the foundation was laid and the basement level was finished. It included a sparring room, individual sleeping quarters for each knight, as well as a storeroom for supplies. There were other, smaller chambers added as well, and Rassey and Amur had built a working forge in one of the rooms.

Amur was planning something, though I knew not what. My current concern was Zelda. The queen had been tolerant of Link's preoccupation, but she was fast losing her temper. She had no idea what, exactly, Link was doing in the mountains, only that it was drawing him away from Hyrule more and more. When I told him this, though, he merely said that she could be patient for a little while longer. She _could_. That didn't mean she _would_.

That's why I decided to take matters into my own hands. Where Link was involved, Zelda believed that she held ultimate power, because she knew that the hero would obey her. After all, in his eyes, she was the queen of Hyrule, and he was merely a forest-boy. That was why he would never contend with her. I, on the other hand, never bowed to her wishes. And she knew that. Infiltrating the castle was quite simple. A simple spell of invisibility, and I could just walk right past the guards. Getting through a locked door wasn't too much of a challenge, either. As expected, considering what time of the night it was, the queen was in her bed and sound asleep, the Triforce glowing dimly on her left hand.

I stared at her for a moment, then ripped the blankets away from her. Immediately, she bolted upright, whipping out a dagger, her eyes shining with fright. I chuckled. "Relax, it's just me."

"Lorian, I'm going to kill you!"

"Keep your voice down," I admonished. "We don't need the Hyrulean army coming here."

She sighed, sheathing her dagger and getting up from the bed to face me. "What is it? The last time I saw you, it was when you came to tell me that the temple monsters had come back. What's next? Ganondorf had a son that we didn't know about?"

"I certainly hope not. You need to leave Link alone."

Zelda froze. "_What_?"

"You may have no idea what he is doing, but that doesn't mean you should be bothering him for a report. Believe it or not, he has a life beyond running all over Hyrule to kill monsters. He's busy. Obviously you have no idea where he is, so you need to stop sending messengers to find him."

"I _know_ he has a life, Lorian! Would it really be so difficult for you to believe that I actually care about his well-being? I haven't heard from him in a month!"

"Lower your voice. I don't want to explain my presence here to the soldiers."

She looked rather subdued now. "Can you just let me know how he's doing? Is he okay?"

"If he wasn't, I would not be here right now, I would be with him. If there is ever danger where he is concerned, I am there. If I am not with him, then that means he is safe."

"Where is he?"

"Beyond Zora's Domain."

"Do you have any idea where the Dragon Knight is? He's been even more absent than Link lately."

"He is also beyond Zora's Domain."

"What are they doing?"

"I would rather not tell you. If you wish to know, you can find out from Link."

"That's not exactly easy to do when I have no idea where he is!"

""You're raising your voice again."

"You infuriate me," she growled.

"Sometimes I find it hard to believe that we were both raised by the same person. We have nothing in common except Link. I should go; dawn is coming."

She grabbed my by the arm, halting my exit. "Do you know what may have caused the return of the temple monsters?"

"No. You said yourself that only the power of the Triforce could have resurrected them. You obviously didn't, Link wouldn't have gone through the trouble if he was just going to kill them again, and Tannin is not stupid enough to inadvertently do something like that."

"Do we even know of anything that powerful besides the Triforce?" she asked.

"Not unless one of the sages made some idiotic mistake with their power. I have to leave now, Zelda."

"Give Link and the Dragon Knight my regards."

I chuckled. "It won't kill you to use Tannin's name."

She huffed, pushing me toward the window. "Just go, Lorian."

I grinned in spite the fact that she couldn't see my face, then vaulted out of the window, intent on going through Castle Town.

* * *

**Link…**

I envied Amur's patience. Rassey had been plying him with questions all day on topics that ranged from fishing to metalworking; I was surprised that the teen hadn't killed the boy already. Actually, Amur seemed more amused than annoyed with Rassey. Oddly enough, they actually resembled each other somewhat, but I shrugged it off, instead walking towards Sheik, who was sitting on a boulder at the edge of the valley with his face unveiled. I could've sworn he wasn't there a minute ago.

"Where have you been?"

He was focused on something in his hand which seemed to radiate a faint, blue glow. "You may receive a visit from Zelda sometime soon."

"Even if she decided to trek all the way out here, I doubt that her guards would allow her to go. You didn't answer me."

"There is a connection between the four that you already have here. They are all rejects. Social outcasts."

"What's your point?" I asked impatiently. "You still haven't answered my question. It's been two days since I saw you last!"

"I'm saying that there may be a connection. All four of them may be outcasts, but they all have unique skills. Maybe you should start looking among those that no one else ever considers."

"What's this? Sheik saying something profound? I'm shocked."

He chuckled, kicking at me without looking away from his hand. "To answer you, I was in Castle Town. It was there that I met an interesting and secretive person."

I sat next to him. "Now I'm scared. The last person you described as 'secretive' was Amur."

"His name is Jarin Barda, and he is nineteen years old. He wishes to join you."

"Uh…okay. What, exactly, is he like?"

Sheik tilted his head to one side, still focused on his hand. "His spirit is determined, and his intentions are honorable. So far, he has shown incredible patience and perception, in addition to being astoundingly sensitive to his surroundings. Even _I_ could not escape his notice. His insight and wisdom is equal to that of the sages."

"I think this is the first time I've ever heard you flatter someone that blatantly. How did you meet him?"

"I was following up on my idea of searching amongst the outcasts. He lives on the streets, with no home or family to call his own. He says he will not mind living in the cold if it means that he will have respectable companionship and a purpose to his life."

I fixed him with a severe look. "I trust you, you know. This guy had better be all you say he is."

Sheik grinned. "I can assure you, he will live up to your expectations. Just remember to not take him at face value."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean do not judge his value by his face."

"If you're worried about how I'll handle some kind of scar, don't. I don't care about physical appearances."

"Good. That said, I have a gift for you. Close your eyes."

I groaned. "Sheik, that is so childish."

He glowered at me. "Just comply, or I'll block your vision whether you like it or not."

I obeyed, then felt something rough and warm being dropped into my hand. "Can I open my eyes yet?"

"No, wait half an hour."

"_Lorian_…"

I heard his laughter. "Go ahead."

I immediately looked down at my hand, seeing a small stone, carved roughly into a circular shape, that was a brilliant, sapphire blue. It hung from a sturdy loop of leather, and glowed faintly. "What the heck is this thing?"

"A portable version of the Gossip Stones that are found throughout Hyrule. The Sheikah were constantly scattered throughout the kingdom, so they developed these as a means to communicate instantaneously with each other. I wear one, too."

"Uh…why give this to me?"

"In case I lose track of you again, I can find you easily through that stone. It will allow me to keep an eye on you even when I'm halfway across Hyrule."

"Did you make this?"

"Yes."

I looped it carefully around my neck. "Wow. Thank you."

He nodded, looking embarrassed. "It's also our birthday."

"What?! Sheik, I had no idea!"

He shrugged awkwardly. "It doesn't matter. A trivial date. It means nothing."

I growled. "Liar."

"I said it doesn't matter," he hissed.

"You're horrible at pretending."

He looked away from me pointedly, and I chuckled. "Showing a little excitement about something isn't going to put you on Impa's blacklist, you know. That means we're twenty-three now, right?"

"Last I checked, that is indeed the number that follows twenty-two. What of it?"

"Hey, Lorian…"

"What?"

"You're it!" I pegged him with a snowball, and he yelled in surprise, reeling backward before retaliating with a smooth kick to my knee. I dodged and threw another snowball, laughing. "The object is to fight without harming, _brother_."

He stood stock-still for a moment, seemingly concentrating, then he rolled his eyes and, without warning, I found myself buried beneath a pile of snow. I dug my way out hurriedly, coughing, and he smiled innocently. "You look better with white hair."

"Don't you _dare_ cast another glamor!" In response, another volley of snow piled on top of me. "No fair! You can't use magic!"

"I believe that I just did. Before this battle becomes too intense, though, I would like to know when you plan on meeting Jarin."

"Well, I'm not doing anything right now."

"Good. Let's go, then."

"Where is he?"

"He lives in Castle Town, but he said that he will meet us in Hyrule Field. He wishes to keep a low profile."

"I have the feeling that you're not telling me everything…"

* * *

We reached Hyrule Field within the hour, and Sheik pointed out a figure sitting, hunched over, on the grass. We approached slowly, and I got the impression that my brother didn't want to scare the man as we slowly circled around to stand in front of him. I froze; he was thin and gaunt, with ragged, brown hair and clouded, pale blue eyes. It was obvious that he couldn't see either of us. Sheik gave me a warning look, then sat down. Mutely, I sat next to him, feeling stunned. _He wants me to train a blind man to be a knight?!_

The young man tilted his head slightly, his unseeing eyes staring at a section of the field to our left. "Sheik?" his voice was low, uncertain, and I noticed that he was gripping a small knife tightly in one hand, presumably as an insurance, in case we weren't who he thought we were.

My brother nodded, looking respectful. "Yes, Jarin. I brought him. Are you well?"

Jarin Barda smiled, his eyes seeming to focus on Sheik, though I knew he wasn't seeing anything. "As well as is possible, living my kind of life. You didn't encounter trouble on the way here? I heard three lizalfos to the east; I'm surprised you didn't run into them."

I stared at him, shocked. _How can he possibly know the location of some monsters, let alone what kind and how many?_ Sheik chuckled, nudging me and giving a pointed look. "No, we didn't encounter any lizalfos on the way here. They left you alone?"

"They didn't come near enough to find me. If they had come too close, I would have hidden. Why does the hero not speak? Did he lose his voice while fighting some grand beast?"

"Are you making fun of me?" I asked, confused and feeling kind of annoyed.

He laughed. "Sorry, Hero. When you can't see the sky, you start to seek laughter to draw closer to beauty. I meant no offense. Jarin Barda," he introduced himself, holding out one hand, slightly far to the right of me.

I smiled in spite of myself and shifted position to take his hand. "Link. Stop calling me Hero; you sound like Sheik when you do that."

My brother chuckled again. "You both know the situation. What's your decision, _Hero_?"

_I might not know anything about him, but I do trust Sheik, and he's already proven that he's perceptive._ I nodded slowly. "Alright, Jarin. You can come to Snowpeak."

He grinned, gripping my hand and pumping it up and down enthusiastically. "Thank you! I promise, you won't regret this!"

"With Sheik's recommendation, then I'm inclined to agree with you," I replied dryly, attempting, but failing, to withdraw my hand from his grasp. I sighed, ignoring Sheik's amused look, instead just standing up and pulling Jarin with me. "Can you ride a horse?"

He let go of my hand and folded his arms across his chest. "Yes, if the horse knows where it's going. I'm not too good at giving directions, as you've probably figured out."

I shrugged, then yelled when Sheik abruptly whipped out his dagger and threw it at me. It zipped past my arm; I heard a thump, accompanied by a shout, and I whipped around, seeing a young man laying there, his hands raised in surrender, Sheik's dagger buried in his sleeve, pinning him to the ground.

I frowned at my brother, who was glaring at the young man, and I retrieved the dagger, tossing it back to Sheik while simultaneously stopping the man from escaping. He was only a boy, really, no older than fifteen, but that didn't stop him from twisting and sinking his teeth viciously into my hand. I yelped, then something blue and white rammed the kid from the side, yanking him off of me painfully. Sheik looked vengeful now, his dagger pressing slowly against the boy's throat.

"Sheik, stop! Don't kill him!"

The blade didn't waver, but he halted its progression, glaring at me. I cringed, even though I knew that I wasn't the object of his rage. The kid struggled, and Sheik increased the pressure slightly in warning, his scarlet eyes blazing. "Touch him again, and you die."

"I didn't know he had a bodyguard when I tried to steal from him!" the kid exclaimed, trying to tuck in his chin to shield his neck from the blade. "Let me go!"

"Sheik, sheath your dagger," I told him, staunching the blood flow on my hand with the corner of my tunic. "He's harmless," I added, gritting my teeth at the pain.

"Really?" he asked scathingly, but, thankfully, he put away the weapon, replacing it with his hand. "What were you doing?" he demanded, applying pressure.

I groaned, going up to them and prying my brother's hand off of the boy's neck. "Relax. He's just a kid; what harm could he do?"

As if answering me, the kid delivered a hefty kick to my shin; I hissed sharply in surprise, and Sheik immediately grabbed the boy again, this time by his shirtfront. "Didn't I tell you to never touch him again?" my brother growled.

I felt exasperated now. "Sheik, he's just a kid. Maybe if I'd been wounded by a lizalfo, then I'd be grateful for your protection, but he does _not_ pose a major threat."

"How would you know?" the kid muttered, glowering up at me. "I could be Ganondorf's son for all you know."

"Ganondorf was Gerudo, not Hylian. Your ears are too pointy," I told him, feeling kind of amused, bending slightly to be at eye level with him. "Who are you, and why were you trying to steal from me?"

"I'm hungry," he replied bluntly, directing a kick at Sheik, who dodged fluidly and caught the boy in a tight arm hold. "Ow! Let go of me, you freak!"

"You initiated the combat. I am merely finishing it."

"Can you three stop going in circles?" another voice abruptly interrupted. We all turned to see Jarin standing there, his expression twisted into a frown. "I don't know all of what's going on, but I've heard enough. If you guys want to end this peaceably, then talk it out. Unless you'd rather just kill the intruder."

I shot Sheik a warning look. He hesitated, then released the kid, sighing. "Very well. If he attacks you again Link, then deal with him. Don't just stand there."

"I understand, Sheik. Why don't you tell Jarin more about Snowpeak while I deal with the kid?"

He rolled his eyes and turned towards the blind man, both of them taking a few steps away. The boy glared at me, then tried to bolt. I quickly grabbed his wrist, and he attempted to kick me again, but I shifted to one side and took hold of his other wrist, restraining him tightly. He yanked away from me. "Look, I'm sorry, I'll just go somewhere else! Let me go!"

I sighed. "My role is as defender of Hyrule. That includes protecting people from getting robbed. Sorry, but if I let you go, you'll just steal from someone else, and I can't allow that. I refuse to condone that kind of behavior. What's your name?"

He hesitated, then looked down. "Asher Doran," he mumbled.

"Well, Asher Doran, what is your purpose for stealing?"

"Purpose?" he repeated, looking bewildered. "I already told you. I'm hungry. I though you might have rations or something in that tiny belt pouch of yours."

I glanced at Sheik and Jarin, who were deep in discussion about something. I noticed that my brother was keeping a wary eye on me, though. _Maybe Sheik has a point with his outcast theory._ I gave the kid a stern look when he tried to wrench himself out of my grip again. "What would you think of living on an isolated, snow-covered mountain where you'd be required to do an equal share of work and get along with other people?"

He growled and spat at my feet. "I'd think you were running a prison operation on Mount Isolated."

I smirked. "And if I also told you that there would be plenty of food and water there, in addition to a safe place to sleep?"

Asher froze, his eyes widening then narrowing. "How do I know you're not lying about that?" he asked suspiciously.

_I may be a 'big person' now, but I obviously still know how a child's mind works. Simple. Straightforward. None of that political running in circles. _I grinned. "Would you want to go to that place?"

He eyed me skeptically. "Who are you? Tell me that first, then I'll answer. I'm not going off with some stranger."

"Smart," I answered, chuckling. "My name's Link."

"That's a stupid name!" he exclaimed.

I laughed. "You might know me better as the Hero of Time."

"Uh…it's a stupid, _heroic_ name?" he offered tentatively, smiling sheepishly.

"Don't worry, I've been called worse than 'stupid.' What do you say? Do you want to come? You'll be expected to give up your thieving ways, though. And get along with other people who come from equally miserable backgrounds."

He was silent and unmoving for a second, then nodded. "Okay. Anything for food. Does the red-eyed freak have to come, too?"

Sheik and Jarin came over to us, my brother scowling at the boy. "Yes, I have to come. If you have a problem with that, you can go feed yourself to a dodongo."

Jarin seemed on edge, alerted to something, and he turned his head southward. "Remember those lizalfos I mentioned?"

_He might be blind, but I trust his judgment. _I called Epona with my ocarina, then drew my sword warily. "Where?"

"Five minutes away, in the direction of Lon Lon Ranch."

Before I could answer, Epona came galloping across the field, with two gigantic lizards chasing after her. Sheik glanced at me, shrugged, then he threw his dagger; it pierced one enemy through the throat, and I shot the other one through the chest with an arrow, killing it instantly. I frowned. "Where's the third?"

Epona snorted and nuzzled me, and I guided her over to Jarin, who tentatively placed his hand on her muzzle. "Is this your horse?"

"Her name is Epona. Do you think you can ride her?"

He nodded, climbing onto her back and gripping her neck tightly. I looked at the others. "We'd better get going, before we end up with two others."

Sheik took Epona's reins to guide her. "Your aim with the bow has improved lately."

"Be thankful that they weren't dinalfos, or I would've had to use ice arrows," I replied, leading the way across the field. Within minutes, we encountered the body of a third lizalfo. It's head had been caved in my something decidedly sharp and round, and I quickly checked Epona. Sure enough, one of her rear hooves was covered in blood. I raised an eyebrow, staring at the horse. "I knew she was capable of being temperamental, but I think this is the first time she's ever actually _killed _anything."

Sheik chuckled. "There's never a dull moment in this life."

* * *

A/N1: Zelda knows Sheik's true identitiy, yes. She knew him long before he took the name "Sheik," so she still calls him Lorian.

A/N2: I may or may not have incorrectly named this chapter. XD


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